House Bill 1431: Education Efficiency Act

February 14, 2025March 5, 2025 Bill Tracker

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HB 1431 died in committee on March 4. 

Explanation of the Bill

House Bill 1431 would create the School District Administrative Efficiency and Joinder Task Force. This task force would study the efficiency of school districts, with the goal of determining how to “substantially reduce” the number of school districts in the state. 

Task Force Composition

The task force would include 15 members: 

• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Education Committee;
• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Education Committee;
• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee;
• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee;
• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House State Affairs Committee;
• The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee;
• A member of the Mississippi Senate, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
• The State Superintendent of Public Education, or their designee;
• Three members of the Standing Commission on School District Efficiency, appointed by the State Board Education, with one being selected from each Mississippi Supreme Court District;
• The Commissioner of Higher Education, or their appointee;
• The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board, or their appointee; and
• The Commissioner of Revenue, or their appointee.

The Chairman of the House Education Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee would serve as co-chairs of the task force. They would be required to convene the task force within 20 days of this act taking effect. 

The task force would adopt rules and regulations governing its operations. A majority vote of all present members would be required for it to pass any recommendations on to the Legislature. 

Task Force Responsibilities

The task force would work with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to compile data on:

• The total number of public school student students in the state, in each county, and in each school district;
• The total and per-pupil administrative costs of each school district; 
• The density classification of each school district that is used to determine the district’s transportation costs;
• The total number of sparsely-populated school districts;
• The accreditation level of each school district; and
• Any other information that may be relevant in determining the educational efficiency of school districts across the state

The task force would be required to compile and present this information in a user-friendly format that allows for comparison between school districts and counties. 

The task force would also be responsible for determining: 

• Factors that should be considered in determining the advantages of reducing the number of school districts;
• Benefits and disadvantages of reducing the number of school districts in counties with at least two school districts;
• A projection of a feasible minimum school district size;
• A projection of the cost savings that could be achieved through district consolidation in counties that have at least two school districts; and
• A recommended procedure for consolidating school districts in counties with at least two school districts, and a time frame for consolidation.

The task force would be required to work with the MDE to quantify the number of school districts that are necessary in the state. In doing so, it would examine:      

• The largest school districts in the state;
• The smallest school districts in the state;
• Previously consolidated school districts in counties that had at least two school districts;
• School districts with boundaries in two counties;
• The administration, operations, and programs of instruction of high-performing and low-performing schools;
• The demographics of districts that have greater populations of at-risk students; and
• Levels of social, economic, academic and cultural exposure.

Task Force Report

The task force would be responsible for commissioning the MDE to prepare a report that includes all of the information in the previous section. They would be required to present the report to the Legislature and Governor by December 31, 2025. 

This act would take effect upon its passage.

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