Charter School Choice
Does the state have charter schools?
Are for-profit charter schools or management companies allowed?
"A charter school and any education service provider which provides comprehensive management for a charter school must be a nonprofit education organization."
Is there a cap on the number of charter schools?
"The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board may approve a maximum of fifteen (15) qualified charter applications during a fiscal year."
37-28-7 (2b) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board created; jurisdiction; mission; composition
Are charters required to provide transportation for any students?
"The terms of each charter school must include a transportation plan for students attending the charter school."
Can charter schools employ uncertified teachers?
Virtual School Choice
Do state statutes allow for full-time virtual schools?
Mississippi statutes allow for the Mississippi Virtual Public School, where students can take online courses to supplement their local course choices. Students cannot earn a diploma completely online.
Are virtual schools required to track attendance?
Do virtual schools have to comply with state teacher certification requirements?
While MVPS is not full-time, "each teacher employed by or participating in the delivery of instruction through the Mississippi Virtual Public School must meet all qualifications for licensure in the State of Mississippi."
Private School Choice
Does the state have voucher programs?
Mississippi statutes allow for two voucher programs: the Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program and the Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia.
37-173-1 through 37-173-31 Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia
Does the state have educational expense tuition tax credits or deductions?
Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?
To be eligible to participate in either the Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship or the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship, a nonpublic school must be a state accredited nonpublic special purpose school. For the Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship, the school must be organized to provide and emphasize instruction in speech-language therapy and intervention as the primary purpose of the school.
This is "Unclear" because the statute does not specify whether these schools can be religious. However, a Mississippi policy expert stated that students cannot use vouchers to attend religious schools because law only allows vouchers for children with special needs who may go to a limited number of special purpose schools.
37-173-17 Eligibility requirements for nonpublic schools to participate in scholarship program.
37-175-17 Eligibility requirements for nonpublic schools to participate in scholarship program.
Is there a cap on the number of students or private schools participating in voucher programs?
We did not find information about caps on the number of students or private schools participating in voucher programs. However, a Mississippi policy expert stated that there is no cap for the voucher program.
Are voucher students in private schools required to take any standardized tests?
We did not find information about whether voucher students are required to take standardized tests. However, a Mississippi policy expert stated that there is no requirement.
Can private schools be removed from voucher programs based on performance?
We did not find information about whether private schools can be removed from voucher programs based on performance. However, a Mississippi policy expert specified that private schools cannot be removed from voucher programs based on performance.
Are private schools in voucher programs required to provide transportation?
Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship: If parent opts to remove child from public school to nonpublic special purpose school and to receive a scholarship, then transportation shall be provided at the parent/guardian expense.
Interdistrict School Choice
Does the state have interdistrict choice programs?
"...individual students living in one school district or a grade or grades of a school within the districts may be legally transferred to another school district, by the mutual consent of the school boards of all school districts concerned, which consent must be given in writing and spread upon the minutes of such boards."
37-15-31 (1)(a) Transfer of students between school districts generally
Are receiving schools or districts required to provide transportation to any students?
"Any such agreement by school boards for the legal transfer of a student under this subsection shall include a provision for the transportation of the student by either the transferor or the transferee school district...However, if the school boards agreeing on the legal transfer of any student shall fail to agree on which district shall provide transportation, the responsibility for transporting the student to the transferee school district shall be that of the parent or guardian."
37-15-31 (3) Transfer of students between school districts generally