MS SB2161

Expands charter school student eligibility to include students from any school district rated "C," "D," or "F" at the time of application approval or at the time of enrollment, not just students residing in the charter school's district

Requires charter school teachers to obtain at least alternative licensure within three years of their individual employment date, and limits unlicensed teachers to no more than 25% of a school's teaching staff

Makes charter school employees eligible for the Public Employees' Retirement System by defining public charter schools as political subdivisions of the state

Clarifies funding mechanisms, including that state adequate education program payments are based on enrollment projections reconciled with months 2-3 average daily attendance, and specifies how local ad valorem tax portions are calculated and transferred for students attending charter schools outside their home district

Removes the automatic repealer (sunset provision) on the Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013, making the charter school program permanent, and prohibits school districts from retaliating against employees involved in creating charter schools