• HB 208 – This bill would require any computer science course that awards a Carnegie unit to be taught by an appropriately endorsed teacher. At the elementary level, instruction can be given by a licensed teacher or paraprofessional who is under the guidance or supervision of a licensed teacher and who has received training from the State Department of Education.

• HB 258 – Educational Facilities Revolving Loan Fund – The date of the repealer was extended for the provisions of law under this bill.

• HB 555 – This bill would reconstitute the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board in order to stagger the terms of each appointee.

• HB 729 – STRIDE Scholarship Program – This bill would establish scholarships for students who become eligible to participate in covered dual-credit and dual-enrollment courses.

• HB 730 – William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr. Teacher Loan Repayment Program – This bill would remove the cap on the number of applicants who could be eligible to receive assistance under the program due to a surplus of funds available. This bill would also open up the funds to be available to alternate route teachers and current teachers who meet the qualifications.

• HB 731 – This bill would provide a salary supplement to national board certified teachers who are employed in critical shortage areas.

• HB 752 – This bill would expand the eligibility for the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship to include students in kindergarten.

• HB 817 – This bill would increase the minimum funding levels for each student enrolled in full-day learning collaborative programs to $2,500 and half-day early learning collaborative programs to $1,250. Representative McCarty stated that this amount is already being used, but this bill would codify the amount in Mississippi law.

• HB 1161 – This bill would enter Mississippi into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.

• HB 1175 – This bill would increase the percentage of funds allotted for programs for exceptional children to cover 100% of the value of the cost of the program for teacher units for preschool exceptional children.

• HB 1177 – This bill would amend the grievance procedures for the four public special purpose schools in the state.

• HB 1184 – This bill would provide an annual salary supplement to any licensed teacher employed in a critical shortage area.

• HB 1200 – This bill expands the dyslexia therapy scholarship by making certified academic language therapists eligible to be employed by school districts.

• HB 1277 – This bill would establish the Mississippi Dual Credit Scholarship Program.

• HB 1024 – Mississippi School Resource Officers School Safety Act – This bill would assist with the cost of employing a school resource officer for school districts.

Below are the bills taken up and passed by the Senate Education Committee:

• SB 2164 – This bill would allow school districts to convey, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of real property for residential, mixed-use, or other developments. The bill would give school districts more options to dispose of property no longer being used.

• SB 2334 – This bill would set and limit the salaries of the state superintendent of education and the executive director of the community college board.

• SB 2360 – This bill would revise the board membership of agricultural high schools so that the board is comprised of an odd number of members.

• SB 2364 – This bill would open up the MAEP formula for any minor tweaks or changes. The committee also added a reverse repealer into the bill.

• SB 2749 – This bill would increase school board member pay based on the number of students in the district. A similar bill was introduced last year and made it approximately half way through the legislative process.