Senate Bill 2079

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-7-306, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PRESCRIBE QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37-7-306, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-7-306. (1) Every school board member selected after July 1, 2002, shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(2) Every school board member selected after July 1, 1993, shall be required to complete a basic course of training and education for local school board members, in order for board members to carry out their duties more effectively and be exposed to new ideas involving school restructuring. Such basic course of training shall be conducted by the Mississippi School Boards Association. Upon completion of the basic course of training, the Mississippi School Boards Association shall file a certificate of completion for the school board member with the office of the local school board. In the event that a board member fails to complete such training within six (6) months of his selection, such board member shall no longer be qualified to serve and shall be removed from office.

(3) In addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (2) of this section, after taking office, each school board member shall be required to file annually in the office of the school board a certificate of completion of a course of continuing education conducted by the Mississippi School Boards Association. In addition, those board members required to attend the additional training as provided in Section 37-3-4(5)(c) shall be required to comply with the annual certification provided herein for such additional training.

(4) Every school board member selected after July 1, 2002, shall spend at least one (1) full day in a school in the district they represent, without compensation.

(5) Every school board member selected after July 1, 2018, shall meet the following qualifications: A candidate for school board shall have at a minimum an associate degree from an accredited junior or community college or a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours and a minimum GPA of 2.0 from an accredited junior college, community college or four-year college or university. Proof of said requirement in the form of a certified transcript shall be made at the time the candidate qualifies to run for office. The educational qualifications required in this subsection (5) shall not be applicable to any school board member who was serving on a school board on July 1, 2018.

( * * *56) Upon the failure of any local school board member to file with the school board the certificate of completion of the basic or continuing course of training as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section, or the additional training as required in Section 37-3-4(5)(c), or the additional educational qualifications as required in subsection (5) of this section, the school board member shall be removed from office by the Attorney General. In the event of a medical or other catastrophic hardship that prevents such school board member from obtaining the required training or filing such certificate, as may be defined by the Board of Directors of the Mississippi School Boards Association by rule and regulation, an additional period of three (3) months may be allowed to satisfy the requirements of subsection (2) or (3).

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018.