Senate moves school attendance officers under local control, sets minimum salary and reporting rules

The Mississippi Senate adopted a committee substitute to shift employment and supervision of school attendance officers (SAOs) from the state Department of Education to local school districts.

Senator DeBarr, sponsor of the measure, said the change is intended to increase local accountability and help address chronic absenteeism. Under the bill, the state will fund one SAO per 3,000 students and set a state-funded minimum salary of $34,000; local districts may supplement that wage. Charter schools are included. The transition to local employment is effective July 1 following enactment, with reporting and joint evaluation provisions scheduled through 2027.

Key duties and rules in the bill include: SAOs will remain responsible for tracking and addressing habitual truancy, must cooperate with youth courts, maintain background checks and retain participation in PERS and state insurance where applicable. School districts must report a student's absence once it reaches five days; districts are required to provide MDE with truancy data and corrective action where absence thresholds are exceeded. The bill also requires a July 2027 joint report from MDE and the state association of superintendents evaluating transition and recommending improvements.

Senators discussed staffing, oversight, and pay; sponsor DeBarr said existing SAOs' accumulated leave and benefits would transfer with them. An amendment removed duplicative salary-language and clarified the minimum $34,000 state-funded salary. The committee substitute and amendment passed; the Senate approved final passage by morning roll call.

Supporters said local employment will improve day-to-day supervision and responsiveness to district needs; some senators asked for future clarifications on personnel oversight and operational detail.