Bill Text: MS HB482 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: School district budget; require State Board of Ed to adopt rules and regulations for examining fiscal stability of ending balances.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2015-03-17 - Approved by Governor [HB482 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2015-HB482-Introduced.html

---

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2015 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Representative Moore

House Bill 482

     AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-61-8, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING THE METHOD BY WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDING FUND BALANCES ARE EXAMINED; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT IMPOSED UPON SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHOSE ENDING FUND BALANCE IN THE MAINTENANCE FUND IS EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN SEVEN PERCENT TO FILE A PLAN TO REDUCE COSTS IN THE DISTRICT; TO REMOVE THE COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REDUCTION OF COSTS PLAN PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED BY CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 37-61-8, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-61-8.   * * *(1)  Whenever a school district has an ending fund balance in the maintenance fund of the school district which is an amount equal to less than seven percent (7%) of the total revenue deposited into the district maintenance fund during that fiscal year, the school board of the school district shall prepare and file with the State Department of Education a plan under which the district intends to reduce costs in the district.  The plan must be submitted by the school board to the department contemporaneously with the budgetary information required under Section 37‑61‑9(2).

     2The State Board of Education * * * may shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing the * * * specific contents required to be included in a plan submitted by a local school board to the department under subsection (1) of this section.  The rules and regulations may include provisions addressing the following matters:method by which school district ending fund balances are examined for fiscal stability.  Failure to comply with any of the rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education with regard to ending fund balances shall constitute a violation of the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards.

 * * *  (a)  A description of the financial data or documents and budgetary information that a district must submit to the department;

  (b)  A description of the manner by which the school district intends to achieve costs savings, demonstrated by actual reductions in budgeted expenditures;

  (c)  A requirement that before a school board makes expenditure cuts by reductions in the number of instructional employees or by reducing any discretionary supplemental amounts paid to instructional personnel, significant cost savings must be demonstrated by reducing the number of noninstructional personnel or the amounts paid to those employees, or both; and

  (d)  Any other information deemed necessary by the State Board of Education.

(3)  After analyzing a plan that has been filed with the department under subsection (1), the department shall either  approve the plan as submitted by the school board or alternatively, withhold approval and return the plan to the district with guidance or instructions, which may require resubmission of the plan by the school board for further review after changes have been made to the plan. 

(4)  This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2015.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.

---