Mississippi

NCAI Region: Southeast

Number of Tribes: 1

Number of BIE Tribally Controlled Schools: 8

Total Number of Native American Schools: 8

State Public Education Department: Mississippi Department of Education

State Average Per Pupil Funding: $9,885

Charter Support Organizations: 1) Mississippi Charter Schools Association2) Mississippi First

Year Charter Law Enacted: 2010

2020 Model Law Ranking: 6

Estimated Number of Charter Schools: 3

Estimated Number of Charter Students: 1,607

State law provides that a charter school has a right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair market value a closed public school facility or property or unused portions of a public school facility or property in the school district in which the charter school is located if the school district decides to sell or lease the public school facility or property. The law provides that if a conversion charter school application is successful, the local school district owning the conversion charter school’s facility must offer to lease or sell the building to the conversion charter school at or below fair market value.
It also provides that a charter school may negotiate and contract at or below fair market value with a school district, state institution of higher learning, public community or junior college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for the use of a facility for a school building.
States law allows public entities, including, but not limited to, libraries, community service organizations, museums, performing arts venues, theatres, cinemas, churches, community and junior colleges, colleges and universities, to provide space to charter schools within their facilities under their preexisting zoning and land use designations.