HB 1446 - Mississippi Public Charter Schools Act of 2012

• Establishes the Mississippi Public Charter Schools Act allowing creation of public charter schools as autonomous, independently governed schools operating under performance-based charter contracts with the State Board of Education as the sole authorizer.

• Restricts charter school authorization to attendance zones of underperforming public schools and prohibits conversion of private or parochial schools to public charter schools or funding of virtual charter schools.

• Provides charter schools with autonomy over finances, personnel, curriculum, and scheduling while requiring compliance with state and federal accountability standards, civil rights laws, and open meetings requirements.

• Funds charter schools through per-pupil state allocations and local ad valorem tax contributions from students' resident districts, with the authorizer receiving 3% of per-pupil funding for oversight costs.

• Repeals the Conversion Charter School Act of 2010 and the New Start School Program, with the entire charter school framework set to expire July 1, 2020.