Pursuant to Section
37-7-104,
et seq. of the Mississippi Code, the Mississippi Legislature
has required that certain school districts ( consolidate/be
consolidated) and that the Mississippi Board of Education
promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the consolidation of these
school districts. This policy shall apply to all consolidations currently
required by law and for any future consolidations that the Mississippi
Legislature shall require. These procedures shall be implemented by the Office
of School Improvement, Oversight and Recovery and other assigned Mississippi
Department of Education (MDE) staff.
The Board prescribes the following rules and regulations for
consolidation of school districts:
1.
Transition Team
a. The State Superintendent
shall appoint a Transition Team that includes MDE staff members and individuals
not employed by MDE to facilitate transition to a new school board and
consolidated school district.
b.
The school boards, superintendents, administrative and instructional staff of
the school districts required to consolidate shall work cooperatively with the
MDE and the Transition Team to facilitate the transition to the new
consolidated district.
c. Unless
otherwise provided by state law, this may include timelines and procedures for:
i. Abolition of affected school districts and
formation of consolidated school district.
ii. Selection of administrators,
establishment of contracts for licensed personnel and hiring of un-licensed
personnel for the consolidated district
iii. Community meetings
iv. Adoption of a set of school district
policies for the consolidated district
v. Consolidation of programs including but
not limited to:
1. Athletic programs and
student organizations
2. Bus
routes
3. Curriculum consistent
with Common Core State Standards
4.
Districts' business offices and financial accounting software
5. Federal programs
6. Food service
7. Safety crisis plan
8. Special education programs
vi. Transfer of assets from
affected school districts to consolidated school district
vii. Transition to a new school board for the
consolidated school district
d. This Transition Team shall establish
procedures and a timeline for administrative consolidation of the affected
school districts and shall serve notice and instructions on the affected school
districts of the procedures and timeline.
2. The Transition Team shall report
periodically to the State Superintendent of Education. The State Superintendent
of Education will notify the Mississippi Board of Education of the progress of
the Transition Team.
