Bill Text: MS HB222 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Former Hinds AHS; reorganize and re-establish as a special purpose school.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-23 - Died In Committee [HB222 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2016-HB222-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2016 Regular Session

To: Education; Revenue and Expenditure General Bills

By: Representative Holloway

House Bill 222

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-27-80, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR THE REORGANIZATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPECIAL PURPOSE SCHOOL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER HINDS AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL LOCATION TO BE DESIGNATED AS THE HINDS SPECIALIZED CAREER AND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FOCUSED PRIMARY INSTRUCTION IN THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE, MILITARY SCIENCE AND ROBOTICS, WHICH SUCH CURRICULUM SHALL BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND CORRECTION BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE REASSIGNMENT OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TO THE SPECIAL PURPOSE SCHOOL; TO STIPULATE THAT THE FIRST YEAR OF INSTRUCTION SHALL BEGIN AT THE START OF THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GRADE 9 THROUGH GRADE 12, AND PROVIDE FOR COURSEWORK AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE CURRICULUM STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS, TO WAIVE ACCOUNTABILITY RESULTS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE SCHOOL'S OPERATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 37-27-80, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-27-80.  (1)  Effective July 1, * * *2014 2016, the former Hinds Agriculture High School, which was closed pursuant to Section 1 of Chapter 520, Laws of 2014, shall be * * * closed reorganized and established as a special purpose career and technical school, to be designated as the Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School and shall be located upon the Utica Campus of Hinds Community College.  The curriculum of the special purpose career and technical school shall provide focused primary instruction in theoretical and practical agriculture, science (including military science), technology, engineering and mathematics, which such curriculum shall be subject to review and correction by the State Board of Education.  * * *Upon closure, All real property titled to or used by the former Hinds Agricultural High School * * *will become the property of assigned to the Hinds Community College District upon the former school's closing shall be reassigned and become the property of Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School.

     (2)  All personal property used by the former Hinds Agricultural High School for secondary school purposes, including all nondisposab1e sports and/or extracurricular equipment (i.e., football helmets, shoulder pads, baseball bats and helmets, and band equipment) * * *will become the property of transferred to the Hinds County School District upon the former school's closing shall be reassigned to Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School * * *.  The division of such personal property will be determined upon a determination by joint order of the Boards of Trustees of Hinds Community College District and Hinds County School District.  Any cost of transferring title of such real or personal property * * *will shall be paid by the Hinds Community College District.

     (3)  Any such joint order directing the transfer of the personal property of the former Hinds Agricultural High School for the re-establishment and repurposing of a school at the site as the Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School shall be submitted and approved by the State Board of Education.  The finding of the State Board of Education shall be final and conclusive for the purpose of the * * *transfer of property required by such administrative consolidation specialized career and technical high school.

     (4)  The first year of instruction shall begin at the start of the 2017-2018 school year for students enrolled in Grade 9 through Grade 12, and provide for coursework and academic standards that are aligned to the curriculum standards adopted by the State Board of Education as developed for implementation by the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the Hinds County School Board and the Board of Trustees of Hinds Community College.  Any student enrolled in the former Hinds Agricultural High School at the time of its closure, who has not graduated nor completed all the necessary requirements for graduation and who is still enrolled in a school in the school district where they reside, as required under the compulsory school attendance law prescribed in Section 37-13-91, shall be eligible to attend Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School upon meeting the qualifications for enrollment established by the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, the Hinds County School Board and the Board of Trustees of Hinds Community College.  Students enrolled at Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School during the initial year of the school's reorganization shall be entitled to a one-year waiver of test scores from inclusion in accountability calculations.

     ( * * *45)  * * *The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside.  After closure of Hinds Agricultural High School, Any student who * * *is was enrolled at the former Hinds Agricultural High School when * * *the its closure * * *is effected was effectuated may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend:  one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Hinds Agriculture High School.

     ( * * *56)  * * *In the event that Hinds Agricultural High School is closed, There will be a two-year waiver of test scores of former Hinds Agricultural High School students being included in accountability calculations for Raymond High School and the Hinds County School District, subject to approval by the State Department of Education.  In addition, the students from Hinds Agricultural High School will not be included in the graduation cohort for accountability calculations for the Hinds County School District, subject to approval by the State Department of Education.

     (7)  The State Board of Education, in conjunction with the State Department of Education, the Hinds County School Board and the Board of Trustees of Hinds Community College shall promulgate the rules and regulations applicable to the Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School relative to the qualifications of students for enrollment and personnel matters as applicable to the employment of licensed administrative and instructional faculty and staff.  However, at no time after its reestablishment shall the school be used as an alternative school, and shall be available to students within the zone of attendance of the former Hinds Agricultural High School.

     (8)  The Hinds Specialized Career and Technical High School established under this section shall be governed in accordance with Chapter 27, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972, in the same manner as agricultural high schools.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.


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