MCA Chapter 131

in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-1 Authority to establish, maintain and conduct schools.

The president or executive head of any state-supported institution of higher learning of the State of Mississippi, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, is hereby authorized and empowered to establish, operate, maintain, and conduct teachers demonstration and practice schools in connection with the operation of such institution of higher learning. The president or executive head of any such institution, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, shall have full power and authority to regulate and conduct the affairs of such schools and to establish rules and regulations for their government.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-3 Contracts for attendance of pupils and grades.

The president or executive head of any institution of higher learning which has established a demonstration or practice school, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, shall have the power and authority to enter into contracts and agreements with the board of trustees of any school district providing for the attendance of pupils, or one or more, or parts of, grades, from the educable children of such school district at such demonstration or practice school. The board of trustees of any school district is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into contracts and agreements with the president or executive head of an institution of higher learning for such purpose. All such contracts shall be upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by and between the president or executive head of the institution of higher learning and the board of trustees of the school district involved.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-5 Allotment of transportation fund.

When any educable children of any school district are attending a demonstration or practice school under a contract, as authorized by Section 37-131-3, who would otherwise be entitled to transportation at public expense under any applicable statute, such children shall remain entitled to such transportation and shall be reported for the allotment of transportation funds by the county or municipal separate school district in which they reside and, when so reported, transportation funds shall be allotted to the county or municipal separate school district therefor just as though such pupil were attending a regular school of the county or municipal separate school district, and transportation therefor shall be furnished by the county board of education or board of trustees of the municipal separate school district, as the case may be, as is otherwise provided by law.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-7 Allocation of minimum education program and state public school building funds.

When any pupils shall attend any demonstration or practice school under the provisions of Section 37-131-3, such children shall be reported and accounted for the allocation of minimum education program funds and state public school building funds just as though such children were attending the regular schools of the district in which they reside. For this purpose, reports shall be made to the school district involved by the demonstration or practice school of the number of pupils in average daily attendance, and the average daily attendance of such children shall thereupon be included in reports made to the state board of education and the state educational finance commission by the county or school district under the provisions of Chapters 19 and 47 of this title. Allocation of minimum education program funds shall be made by the state board of education for such children just as though such children were attending the regular schools of the district. All minimum education program funds, except funds allocated for transportation costs, which accrue to any district as a result of such children who are in attendance at a demonstration or practice school shall be paid by the board of trustees of the municipal separate school district or by the county board of education to the demonstration or practice school, and shall be used to defray the cost and expense of maintaining, operating and conducting such demonstration or practice school. All state public school building funds which accrue as a result of such children in attendance at a demonstration or practice school shall be credited directly to such demonstration or practice school, and all of the provisions of Chapter 47 of this title shall be fully applicable thereto.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-9 Payment of additional funds; fees and tuition.

In addition to the amounts paid to the demonstration or practice school from minimum education program funds, as provided in Section 37-131-7, the board of trustees of the school district involved may contract with the said demonstration or practice school for the payment of additional amounts thereto to defray expenses over and above those defrayed by minimum education program funds, which additional amounts shall be paid from any funds available to the school district other than minimum education program funds, whether produced by a supplemental district tax levy or otherwise. If the total funds paid to the demonstration or practice school by the school district are inadequate to defray the cost and expense of maintaining and operating such demonstration or practice school then the president or executive head of the institution may, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, require the payment of additional fees or tuition in an amount to be fixed by the president or executive head of the institution, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, which amount shall be paid by and collected from the student or his parents. Boards of trustees of school districts involved may designate an area within the jurisdiction of the board as an attendance center as provided by law, and may require students in such area to attend demonstration or practice schools, subject to a satisfactory contract between the school board and the president or executive head of the institution operating the demonstration or practice school. In such event, all fees and tuition must be borne by the school district and in no case shall the child or the parents of the child assigned to such demonstration or practice school be required to pay any fees or tuition. The president or executive head of the institution, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, may also fix the amount of fees and tuition to be paid by students desiring to attend such demonstration or practice school in cases where there is no contract with the board of trustees of the school district in which the students reside therefor. All funds received by an institution, under the provisions of this section, shall be deposited in a special fund and shall be used and expended solely for the purpose of defraying and paying the cost and expense of operating, maintaining and conducting such teachers demonstration and practice school. Such funds may be supplemented by and used in connection with any other funds available to the institutions for such purpose whether made available by legislative appropriation or otherwise.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-11 Reports.

All demonstration or practice schools established under the provisions of Section 37-131-1 shall, as far as may be practicable, be subject to and governed by the same laws as other public schools of the State of Mississippi, and shall make all reports required by law to be made by public schools to the state board of education or the state educational finance commission at the same time and in the same manner as such reports are made by other public schools. However, for the purpose of the allocation of minimum education program funds, the reports of children in average daily attendance shall be made to the school district involved by said demonstration or practice school, and a copy thereof shall be filed with the state board of education. The school district shall use said reports so filed with it in making its reports to the state board of education for the purpose of the allocation of minimum education program funds but the average daily attendance of the pupils attending such demonstration or practice school shall be segregated and separated in such reports from the average daily attendance in the regular schools of the district.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-13 Acceptance of gifts.

In order to carry into effect the right and authority granted in Sections 37-131-1 through 37-131-11, authorizing demonstration and practice schools in connection with major state institutions of higher learning, the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized to accept by donations, grants, cooperative agreements or otherwise, such sums of money as may be deemed necessary for the construction and maintenance of such demonstration and practice schools from whatever sources available, including agencies of the federal, state and county governments, the city of Starkville, Mississippi, private individuals, benevolent institutions or organizations, or any other available and legal source or sources.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-15 Demonstration or practice school in Oktibbeha County.

Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, the Starkville municipal separate school district, and any one or more of the consolidated or separate school districts in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, are hereby authorized to cooperate with the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning by establishing, constructing, maintaining and operating a teachers demonstration or practice school. The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized to act as sponsor with respect to any funds that may be secured for the construction, maintenance, and operation of such teachers demonstration or practice school from any agency or subdivision of the federal, state, Oktibbeha County, City of Starkville, or school district, or from private individuals, benevolent institutions or organizations, or any other available and legal source or sources.