House Bill 462

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-151-8, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVING ALLOCATIONS OF MAEP FUNDS TO IDENTIFY THE CATEGORIES OF FUNDS RECEIVED BY MAINTAINING A SEPARATE FUND FOR EACH CATEGORY OF FUNDING; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE THE METHODS BY WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ACCOUNT FOR EXPENDITURE OF ALL FUNDS FROM EACH CATEGORY OF MAEP FUNDS AND FOR REPORTING SUCH EXPENDITURES AND FUND BALANCES TO THE DEPARTMENT; TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD TO DETERMINE HOW DISTRICTS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF CATEGORICAL FUNDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-151-8, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-151-8. (1) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations that:

(a) Require school districts that receive allocations of Mississippi Adequate Education Program at-risk funds, as prescribed by Section 37-151-7(1)(d), to specifically target the expenditure of those funds to implement effective programs, as determined by the State Department of Education, to serve at-risk students; and

(b) Provide the methods by which school districts will be expected to account for all expenditures of at-risk funds and how school districts will be held accountable for the expenditure of at-risk funds.

(2) The State Board of Education shall require school districts that receive allocations of Mississippi Adequate Education Program funds, as determined by Section 37-151-7, to identify the categories of funds received by maintaining a separate fund for each category of funding. The department shall provide the methods by which school districts will be expected to account for expenditure of all funds from each category of MAEP funds and report such expenditures and fund balances to the department. The board shall also determine how districts will be held accountable for the expenditure of categorical funds.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.