Character education; require State Board of Education to develop and implement curriculum for public schools.

HB 1355, the "Success Sequence and Character Education Act of 2025," requires Mississippi public schools to teach a specific curriculum focused on completing high school, working full-time, and marrying before having children ("success sequence"), alongside 15 character traits like respect, responsibility, family care, kindness, and patriotism. It mandates the State Department of Education to develop a K-12 curriculum by January 2026, with school districts required to adopt or create compliant programs by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill allows after-school programs by third parties to teach the "success sequence" and character traits, with parental consent required for student participation, while prohibiting religious or political indoctrination in core classroom instruction. This bill directly affects all public school students and educators in Mississippi through mandated curriculum changes.