Senate Bill 2401 - Mississippi Public Charter Schools Act of 2012

• Establishes the Mississippi Public Charter Schools Authorizer Board as an independent state agency with seven members appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Superintendent of Education, and Commissioner of Higher Education to authorize and oversee public charter schools statewide.

• Creates a comprehensive framework for charter school applications, requiring detailed school plans covering academics, operations, finances, facilities, and enrollment procedures, with authorizer decisions within 180 days.

• Prohibits conversion of private or parochial schools to public charter schools; ensures open enrollment with lottery-based admissions when capacity is exceeded; requires charter schools to reflect at-risk student enrollment within 25% of local school district demographics.

• Directs state and local funding to charter schools on a per-pupil basis equal to the adequate education program allocation, with tax collectors transferring local ad valorem taxes from resident school districts to charter schools.

• Exempts charter school teachers and administrators from state certification requirements (50% of teachers) and from education employment procedures law; requires five-year initial charter terms with renewal provisions based on performance frameworks measuring student achievement, attendance, fiscal management, and legal compliance.