MS HB167

Requires the State Department of Education to conduct a feasibility study on school district spending and financial efficiency, identifying districts that use resource allocation practices contributing to high academic achievement and cost-effective operations

Department must evaluate operating costs per student, operating costs per program, and staffing costs per student to ensure resources are being used for student instruction

Requires development of a review process to anticipate future financial solvency of each school district, analyzing revenues and expenditures for the preceding year and projecting three years ahead

Department must create an electronic-based program for districts to submit financial data, with automatic alerts for abnormal student-to-staff ratios, rapid depletion of general fund balances, and significant budget discrepancies

Districts with projected deficits within three school years must submit interim financial reports and develop department-approved financial plans; failure to comply results in "accredited-warned" status from the State Board of Education

Effective date: July 1, 2021