Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi SB2002: Student transfers; remove requirement for current district of attendance to approve release.
Status: Failed, March 3, 2026
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-15-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF A CHILD'S RESIDENCE CONSENT TO THE RELEASE OF THE STUDENT FOR TRANSFER TO ANOTHER DISTRICT; TO REQUIRE THAT THE TRANSFEREE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE OR REFUSE THE TRANSFER OF A STUDENT AT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD AFTER RECEIPT OF THE PETITION FOR TRANSFER; TO REQUIRE THE TRANSFEREE DISTRICT TO NOTIFY, IN WRITING AND WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME, THE DISTRICT FROM WHICH THE STUDENT IS TRANSFERRING OF THE APPROVAL OF A TRANSFER REQUEST; TO PROVIDE THAT, ABSENT GOOD CAUSE, A TRANSFER REQUEST MUST BE APPROVED, AND THE TRANSFEROR DISTRICT NOTIFIED, NOT LATER THAN MARCH 15 OF THE SCHOOL YEAR BEFORE THE TRANSFER IS TO OCCUR; TO AUTHORIZE A TRANSFEREE DISTRICT TO CHARGE A FEE IT DETERMINES TO BE REASONABLE FOR RECEIVING A STUDENT; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTHING IN THIS ACT SHALL PRECLUDE THE MISSISSIPPI HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION OR ANY SUCCESSOR REGULATORY BODY FROM EXERCISING ITS AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE EXTRACURRICULAR ELIGIBILITY OF A TRANSFERRING STUDENT; TO PROVIDE THAT TRANSFER AUTHORITY OF A DISTRICT TO RECEIVE OR DENY THE ACCEPTANCE OF A STUDENT REQUESTING TRANSFER INTO THE DISTRICT SHALL NOT SUPERSEDE ANY PROVISION OF AN ENFORCEABLE DESEGREGATION ORDER OR A COURT-APPROVED DESEGREGATION PLAN; TO AMEND SECTION 37-15-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to amend section 37-15-31, mississippi code of 1972, to remove the requirement for the school board of the school district of a child's residence consent to the release of the student for transfer to another district; to require that the transferee school board approve or refuse the transfer of a student at the next regular meeting of the board after receipt of the petition for transfer; to require the transferee district to notify, in writing and within a reasonable time, the district from which the student is transferring of the approval of a transfer request…
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-15-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF A CHILD'S RESIDENCE CONSENT TO THE RELEASE OF THE STUDENT FOR TRANSFER TO ANOTHER DISTRICT; TO REQUIRE THAT THE TRANSFEREE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE OR REFUSE THE TRANSFER OF A STUDENT AT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD AFTER RECEIPT OF THE PETITION FOR TRANSFER; TO REQUIRE THE TRANSFEREE DISTRICT TO NOTIFY, IN WRITING AND WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME, THE DISTRICT FROM WHICH THE STUDENT IS TRANSFERRING OF THE APPROVAL OF A TRANSFER REQUEST; TO PROVIDE THAT, ABSENT GOOD CAUSE, A TRANSFER REQUEST MUST BE APPROVED, AND THE TRANSFEROR DISTRICT NOTIFIED, NOT LATER THAN MARCH 15 OF THE SCHOOL YEAR BEFORE THE TRANSFER IS TO OCCUR; TO AUTHORIZE A TRANSFEREE DISTRICT TO CHARGE A FEE IT DETERMINES TO BE REASONABLE FOR RECEIVING A STUDENT; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTHING IN THIS ACT SHALL PRECLUDE THE MISSISSIPPI HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION OR ANY SUCCESSOR REGULATORY BODY FROM EXERCISING ITS AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE THE EXTRACURRICULAR ELIGIBILITY OF A TRANSFERRING STUDENT; TO PROVIDE THAT TRANSFER AUTHORITY OF A DISTRICT TO RECEIVE OR DENY THE ACCEPTANCE OF A STUDENT REQUESTING TRANSFER INTO THE DISTRICT SHALL NOT SUPERSEDE ANY PROVISION OF AN ENFORCEABLE DESEGREGATION ORDER OR A COURT-APPROVED DESEGREGATION PLAN; TO AMEND SECTION …