K-12 Education: 2025 Legislative Review

By Grace Breazeale, Director of Research and K-12 Policy

The 2025 legislative session came to a close on Thursday, April 3. The Legislature failed to pass a budget for the state government during the regular session, so the Governor must call a special session before July 1. 

While the regular session was relatively quiet on the K-12 education policy front, the Legislature did pass several significant pieces of legislation in this realm. Read on for a summary of our biggest takeaways, including the bills that became law and bills that did not make it through the process but could emerge again in future sessions. 

You can find a legislative recap for early childhood education here. 

PASSED

Statewide Data Exchange (SB 2267) 

Creates a cloud-based platform, led by the Department of Information Technology Systems, for state agencies to securely share data. While not education-specific, it echoes the goals of the State Longitudinal Data System and could support better coordination across education, workforce, and social services.

Paid Parental Leave (HB 1063)

Establishes paid parental leave for eligible state employees. Though a similar bill required public school boards to pass a paid parental leave policy for district employees, the final version of the bill does not include this requirement. Instead, it includes language permitting–but not requiring–school boards to pass their own policies providing paid parental leave for employees. 

Prohibition on DEI (HB 1193)

In addition to prohibiting public schools and universities from maintaining programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, this bill broadly prohibits them from engaging in “divisive concepts.” Such concepts include, but are not limited to, the ideas that “one race, sex, color, or national origin is inherently superior to another” and “an individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive.” 

PERS (HB 1)

The financial solvency of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) has been a concern for several years. Although SB 2439 (a standalone PERS reform bill) died in committee, key provisions made it into HB 1—the state income tax overhaul. Starting in 2026, new state employees will join a newly created “Tier 5” retirement plan that includes a defined contribution element and no COLA (“13th check”). This change affects teachers and other education employees hired after March 1, 2026.

DID NOT PASS

Mississippi Student Funding Formula (HB 1630, SB 2616)

The House and Senate both introduced bills to make technical amendments to the Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFF). While House Bill 1630 nearly made it across the finish line, conferees did not file a conference report on this bill before the deadline, causing this bill to die in conference. We expect a similar bill that makes tweaks to the MSFF to emerge during the 2026 legislative session. 

Charter Schools (HB 1432)

Would have made a wide range of technical and substantive changes to the Charter School Act of 2013. Some of the substantive changes include increasing the percentage of teachers in a charter school that are exempt from state teacher licensure requirements, expanding the districts where potential charter operators are eligible to submit applications for charter schools, and requiring all charter schools to provide live and in-person instruction. The bill died in the Senate Education Committee. 

Public School Choice (HB 1435)

Would have made it easier for students to transfer from one public school district to another. Currently, a student’s transfer has to be approved by the boards of their current district and the receiving district. HB 1435 would have approved the requirement of the current district’s approval, so that a student would only need the approval of the receiving district. The bill died in the Senate Education Committee. 

Private School Vouchers (HB 1433)

Would have increased access to private and public school choice for students enrolled in schools and districts with “D” or “F” ratings and for children in foster care. The bill did not make it out of the House. We have likely not seen the end of the push for school choice, as the Governor has noted that he may include school choice issues in the agenda for the special session later this year. 

Cell Phone Ban (SB 2151)

Would have created cell phone bans in schools. This type of legislation has been common in recent years across the country. Though the legislation did not pass, discourse around the issue of phones in schools indicates that it could emerge again in the future.