School attendance officers; provide formula for allocating funds for the employment of and increase minimum base salary of.

HB 820 would change how Mississippi funds school attendance officers by requiring one officer for every 2,000 compulsory-school-age children in a county, replacing the previous allocation method. It also increases the minimum base salary for these officers and updates background check requirements, including criminal records and child abuse registry checks for applicants. The bill affects school districts, which would receive state funds based on this new formula, and school attendance officers, who would need a behavioral science degree or three years of related experience. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, without becoming law.