House Bill 953

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-11-65, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ALLOW STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE TO ATTEND A PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN THE STATE, AS INDICATED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE STUDENT'S TRANSFER AND SUBSEQUENT ENROLLMENT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN A MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL DISTRICT, TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY EXTRACURRICULAR OR ATHLETIC ACTIVITY SPONSORED OR SANCTIONED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, PROVIDED THAT THE STUDENT SATISFIES THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS; TO REQUIRE THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO CONSIDER THE STUDENT'S CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE DURING THE LAST SEMESTER OF ATTENDANCE AT THE PRECEDING SCHOOL OF ATTENDANCE IN DETERMINING THE TRANSFER STUDENT'S ELIGIBILITY FOR A PARTICIPATION IN ANY EXTRACURRICULAR OR ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SCHOOL YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37-11-65, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-11-65. (1) A student who is enrolled in any grade higher than Grade 6 in a school district in this state must be suspended from participation in any extracurricular or athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the school district after a semester in which the student's cumulative grade point average is below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The suspension from participation in extracurricular or athletic activities may not be removed until the student's cumulative grade point average in a succeeding semester is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. A student with a cumulative grade point average below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale at the last semester of an academic school year shall be suspended from participation in extracurricular or athletic activities in the succeeding academic school year until the student's cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

(2) Any student who transfers from outside of the state to attend a public school within the state, as indicated by the local school board's acceptance of the student's transfer and subsequent enrollment in a school in said school district, shall be eligible to participate in any extracurricular or athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the school district, provided that the student satisfies the grade point average requirements of subsection (1) of this section. In determining a transfer student's eligibility for participation in any extracurricular or athletic activities at the beginning of a school year, the local school board shall take into consideration whether the student's cumulative grade point average during the last semester of attendance at the preceding school of attendance is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.