Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes money from the Mississippi state education fund to be used for private school tuition, tutoring, and other expenses, and makes various amendments to other education statutes.

Highlights:

• Establishes Magnolia Student Accounts (MSAs) as accounts from which money is directed for the parents of participating students to pay for eligible educational expenses (Sec. 3).

• Establishes the Office of the State Treasurer as the administrator and fund manager of the Education Freedom Program (Sec. 4).

• Establishes the following rules for MSAs (Sec. 5):

• They begin in the 2027-2028 school year;

• Participation is limited to 12,500 students in the first year, and is increased by 2,500 students in the subsequent four years, with increases in the fifth year and beyond determined by demand; and

• Half of the participants must be students who were in public schools the previous school year, and the other half may be other students regardless of prior public school attendance.

• Specifies that priority will be given to students in the following three priority levels (Sec. 5).

• Those with household incomes at or below the area median will receive first priority;

• Those with household incomes between 100-200% of the area median will receive second priority; and

• Those with household incomes between 200-300% of the area median will receive third priority.

• Authorizes MSAs to be made available for the following uses/amounts (Sec. 6):

• Full attendance costs at participating schools (accredited non-public schools, post-secondary schools, or public schools outside of the student’s home district), subject to fund manager approval;

• Up to $2,000 per student ($4,000 per household) for attending non-participating schools; and

• Up to $1,000 per family for students utilizing a legitimate home instruction program.

• Authorizes MSA funds be used on the following eligible expenses (Sec. 6):

• Tuition and fees;

• Testing costs;

• School uniform costs;

• Costs determined by a participating school for supplies, equipment, technology, curriculum, and services;

• Transportation to and from an education service provider or participating school; and

• Other expenses approved by the fund manager.

• Specifies that the Equal Opportunity Scholarship for Students with Special Needs is separate from Magnolia Student Accounts and students are only eligible for one of these programs at a time (Sec. 7).

• Establishes standardized test requirements for student recipients of MSAs (Sec. 8).

• Authorizes students to use leftover MSA funds on eligible post secondary education or career credentials within 4 years of their graduation from high school (Sec. 11).

• Establishes the Education Freedom Fund which will consist of the following (Sec. 12):

• Legislative appropriations for Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs);

• Legislative appropriations for MSAs;

• Legislative appropriations for student portability scholarships (up to $5 million);

• Federal funding or funds from other state agencies and local governments; and

• Gifts, grants, and donations.

• Specifies that unused money in the Education Freedom Fund does not lapse to the general fund at the end of a fiscal year (Sec. 12).

• Authorizes students to transfer to a school district in which they do not live without the consent of their home district (Sec. 13).

• Specifies that athletic eligibility for transfer students will be determined by the Mississippi High School Association (Sec. 13).

• Requires the Department of Education to pay the school district receiving a transfer student an amount based on data from the student’s home district from the previous year (Sec. 13).

• Prohibits receiving school districts that receive a student portability scholarship for a transfer student from charging the student’s parent or guardian additional tuition or fees (Sec. 13).

• Authorizes students in a legitimate home instruction program to participate in interscholastic athletic activities at the public school where they would be assigned within their district (Sec. 14).

• Establishes the Adolescent Literacy Initiative to provide the following support services to fifth through eighth grade students with reading difficulties (Sec. 15):

• Professional learning opportunities for teachers grounded in the science of reading;

• Assessment systems to identify student needs;

• Coaching support for fourth through eighth grade students; and

• Educator preparation programs focused on equipping teachers to effectively teach reading.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop a list of “High-Quality Instructional Materials” for use in grades four through eight, and a list of approved reading assessments to be administered three times a year (Sec. 16).

• Requires school districts to offer reading intervention services and implement an individual reading plan to students in grades four through eight who exhibit deficiencies in reading based on assessments (Sec. 16-22).

• Requires school boards to employ at least one reading specialist, interventionist, and/or dyslexia therapist in any school serving fourth through eighth graders (Sec. 18).

• Requires the Department of Education to administer the Moving Mathematics Program in Mississippi (M3) to participating districts for the following purposes (Sec. 26-38):

• The placement of math coaches in schools;

• The administration of math screeners on students in grades K-5;

• The use of grade five math assessment scores to identify students in need of individualized math plans; and

• Ongoing regional training in math and professional development for teachers.

• Amends the Charter Schools Act to make several changes, including the following (Sec. 39-57):

• Authorizes the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board (MCSAB) to approve charter schools in any district with one or more D or F-rated schools;

• Restructures the makeup of the MCSAB and authorizes it to approve expansions, mergers, consolidations, or reconfigurations of charter schools;

• Repeals the 3% administration fee from charter schools to the MCSAB, and specifies that the Board will be funded through legislative appropriation;

• Authorizes a rolling application process for charter school applicants;

• Authorizes 50% of teachers in a charter school to be exempt from state teacher licensure requirements; and

• Authorizes an annual salary supplement of $6,000 for teachers and staff at charter schools who are nationally board certified.

• Specifies that the entity subject to financial audit in the case of charter schools is the nonprofit entity which holds the charter contract, rather than the charter school itself (Sec. 61).

• Expands school accreditation statutes to include charter schools (Sec. 75).

• Requires the Department of Education and the MCSAB to develop an additional accountability model for charter schools (Sec. 76).

• Increases the minimum salary for assistant teachers from $17,000 to $20,000 starting in the 2026-2027 school year (Sec. 77)

• Requires the Department of Education and the State Board of Education to request a federal waiver to remove all assessment requirements in grades three through eight (Sec. 113).

• Amends certain definitions, code sections, and other requirements related to the Mississippi Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS) (Sec. 114-121).

• Authorizes independent schools to contract with local law enforcement to hire school resource officers (Sec. 129).

• Authorizes local school boards to implement policies designating time at the beginning of school days for prayer and reflection (Sec. 139).

• Requires military families to have a current, valid Mississippi auto registration to finalize enrollment of their children in public schools (Sec. 141).

• Specifies that this Act takes effect on July 1, 2026, unless otherwise stated (Sec. 144).

Full Bill Text