Bill Text: MS HB1709 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Special purpose schools; children of active military personnel not required to have attended MS school in previous year.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB1709 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-HB1709-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Education
By: Representative Roberson
House Bill 1709
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-173-5 AND 37-175-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN CHILDREN OF ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY PARENTS ASSIGNED TO A MILITARY BASE IN MISSISSIPPI WHO ATTENDED AN OUT-OF-STATE SCHOOL DURING THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR TO RECEIVE A MISSISSIPPI DYSLEXIA THERAPY SCHOLARSHIP OR MISSISSIPPI SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY SCHOLARSHIP; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-173-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-173-5. (1) Parents or legal guardians may exercise the option to remove their child from a traditional public school setting to be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school which meets the standards for appropriate specific instruction designed to meet the unique learning needs of young dyslexic students. The objectives of such school shall be:
(a) To emphasize the importance of early intervention; and
(b) To provide intensive high-quality instruction of students in reading, spelling, writing, language arts, phonological awareness and fluency training, but shall not preclude instruction in mathematics, social studies, science, art, music and physical education based on the curriculum requirements of the State Department of Education.
(2) The parent or legal guardian of a public school student with dyslexia may request and receive from the state a Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for the child to enroll in and attend a nonpublic school in accordance with this section if:
(a) The
student has spent the previous school year in attendance at a Mississippi
public school or any other state approved nonpublic school in the state that
emphasizes instruction in dyslexia intervention; * * *
(b) The parent or legal guardian of the student is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces assigned to a military base in Mississippi and the student spent the previous school year in attendance at an out-of-state public school or other licensed or accredited nonpublic school that emphasizes instruction in dyslexia intervention; or
(c) The parent or legal guardian has obtained acceptance for admission of the student to a nonpublic school that is eligible for the program under Section 37-173-19 and has requested from the department a scholarship within thirty (30) days before the date of the first scholarship payment. The request must be through a communication directly to the department in a manner that creates a written or electronic record of the request and the date of receipt of the request. The Department of Education must notify the district of the parent's or legal guardian's intent upon receipt of the parent's or legal guardian's request.
SECTION 2. Section 37-175-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-175-5. (1) Parents or legal guardians may exercise the option to remove their child from a traditional public school setting to be enrolled in a nonpublic school which meets the standards for appropriate specific instruction designed to meet the unique learning needs of young students with a speech-language impairment. The objectives of such school shall be:
(a) To emphasize the importance of early intervention; and
(b) To provide intensive high-quality speech-language pathology services.
(2) The parent or legal guardian of a public school student with a speech-language impairment may request and receive from the state a Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for the child to enroll in and attend a nonpublic school in accordance with this section if:
(a) The student has
spent the previous school year in attendance at a Mississippi public school or
any other state accredited nonpublic special purpose school in the state that
is organized to provide and emphasizes instruction in speech-language therapy
and intervention as the primary purpose of the school; * * *
(b) The parent or legal guardian of the student is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces assigned to a military base in Mississippi and the student spent the previous school year in attendance at an out-of-state public school or other licensed or accredited nonpublic special purpose school that emphasizes instruction in speech-language therapy and intervention; or
(c) The parent or legal guardian has obtained acceptance for admission of the student to a nonpublic school that is eligible for the program under Section 37-175-19 and has requested from the department a scholarship within thirty (30) days before the date of the first scholarship payment. The request must be through a communication directly to the department in a manner that creates a written or electronic record of the request and the date of receipt of the request. The State Department of Education must notify the district of the parent's or legal guardian's intent upon receipt of the parent's or legal guardian's request.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
