MS SB2313

Effective January 1, 2016, all school district superintendents shall be appointed by local school boards rather than elected, unless a county's voters approve retention of elected superintendents through referendum.

Counties may hold a referendum on changing from elected to appointed county superintendents if a petition signed by at least 20% of registered voters (or 1,500 voters, whichever is less) is filed before January 1, 2015.

Superintendent candidates must hold a valid administrator's license from the State Department of Education and have at least 4 years of classroom or administrative experience.

Repeals existing statutes (effective January 1, 2016) that governed the process for changing county superintendent positions from elected to appointed status through petition and referendum.

Requires submission of the act to the U.S. Attorney General or U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.