Senate Bill 2501

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF COAHOMA AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL TO THE COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT FOR USE AS AN EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE STUDENTS OF COAHOMA COUNTY SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY TO THE COAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO THE COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE STATUS OF STUDENTS AND DIPLOMAS; IN THE EVENT OF DISAPPROVAL BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE FOR THE CLOSURE OF COAHOMA AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY TO THE COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSFER OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO THE COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE STATUS OF STUDENTS AND DIPLOMAS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Board of Trustees of Coahoma Agricultural High School are authorized to make application to the Mississippi Department of Education for the approval of converting the facilities and programs of the agricultural high school to an Early College High School. In the event the State Board of Education approves this application, effective July 1, 2018, the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be transferred to the Coahoma Community College District and shall be used as an Early College High School serving up to four hundred (400) students from the following counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, Tunica, Tallahatchie and Quitman. The conversion from Coahoma Agricultural High School to the Early College High School shall be administered on a phased-in basis beginning with ninth-grade students and adding on one (1) grade level every year from the applicable counties until the school has full enrollment. Students who are currently enrolled in Coahoma Agricultural High School in Grades 10-12 may be enrolled at the facility as students at the Early College High School and continue in the system. From July 1, 2016, through July 1, 2018, the President and Board of Trustees of Coahoma Agricultural High School shall cooperate with the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District for the transition of the facilities and programs. The Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Agricultural High School and the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District shall redesign the facilities in order to establish an environment that supports college readiness for all students through a required college preparatory curriculum, access to college courses, counseling for college admissions, and other college readiness activities, such as explicit instruction in college behavior and expectations. All real property titled to or used by Coahoma Agricultural High School will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District.

(2) All personal property used by the Coahoma Agricultural High School for secondary school purposes, including all nondisposab1e sports and/or extracurricular equipment (i.e., football helmets, shoulder pads, baseball bats and helmets, and band equipment) will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District. The division of such personal property will be determined by joint order of the Boards of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District and the Coahoma County School District. Any cost of transferring title of such real or personal property will be paid by the Coahoma Community College District.

(3) Any such joint order directing the transfer of the personal property of the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be submitted and approved by the State Board of Education. The finding of the State Board of Education shall be final and conclusive for the purpose of the transfer of property required by such administrative consolidation.

(4) The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside. After transfer of the Coahoma Agricultural High School, any student who is enrolled at the Coahoma Agricultural High School when the transfer is effected may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend: one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Coahoma Agricultural High School.

(5) The State Board of Education shall issue regulations providing for the automatic transfer of students in the surrounding counties who wish to enroll in the Early College High School.

SECTION 2. (1) In the event the State Board of Education does not approve the application of the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Agricultural High School to establish an Early College High School, effective July 1, 2018, the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be closed. Upon closure, all real property titled to or used by Coahoma Agricultural High School will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District.

(4) The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside. After closure of Coahoma Agricultural High School, any student who is enrolled at the Coahoma Agricultural High School when the closure is effected may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend: one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Coahoma Agricultural High School.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.