Education

SB 2103 removes a requirement in Mississippi law that professional school counselors must spend at least 80% of their time delivering services "as outlined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Code of Ethics." The bill specifically deletes this provision from Section 37-9-79 of the Mississippi Code, which currently governs counselor duties. This change directly affects all K-12 professional school counselors in Mississippi public schools by eliminating the specific reference to the ASCA Code of Ethics in their service delivery requirements. The bill does not alter other counselor qualifications or service requirements outlined in the same section.

SB 2238 amends Mississippi law to authorize the consolidation of Starkville School District and Oktibbeha County School District into a single "Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District" effective July 1, 2015. The bill requires transfer of all real and personal property, contracts, and staff obligations from the former Oktibbeha County School District to the new consolidated district, with specific governance rules for the new school board. It also establishes procedures for nonrenewing staff contracts and limits administrative leadership to three assistant superintendents. The bill does not create new university partnerships, as its focus is solely on the administrative consolidation of the two school districts.

SB 2286 consolidates Mississippi's Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement and Office of Dropout Prevention into a single office within the State Department of Education. It requires all school districts to implement statewide-approved dropout prevention programs by the 2026-2027 school year, focusing on reducing absenteeism and supporting at-risk students. The bill also establishes new minimum salary standards for school attendance officers and mandates monthly attendance reporting to the state office. These changes directly affect school districts, attendance officers, and the State Department of Education, aiming to standardize enforcement and prevention efforts across the state.

SB 2002 changes Mississippi's student transfer rules by removing the requirement for a student's current school district to approve transfers to another district. Instead, the new district (transferee) must approve or deny a transfer request at its next regular meeting after receiving a parent's written petition, with approvals required by March 15 each year unless "good cause" exists to deny. The bill allows the new district to charge a reasonable fee for accepting a student but clarifies it doesn't affect existing desegregation orders or extracurricular eligibility rules set by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. This directly impacts parents/guardians seeking to move students between districts and school boards handling transfer requests.

HB 1286 requires Mississippi's State Department of Education to provide every Grade 2 public and charter school student with a copy of the book *One Mississippi* for use during "Read Across America Week." Schools must distribute the books (purchased by parents at cost, not for profit) and use a state-developed lesson plan to teach the book's content about Mississippi's state song and heritage. The law applies to all Grade 2 students in the state and takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.