Eleventh grade students; require to take GED or High School Equivalency Test for senior early release privilege eligibility.

HB 171 requires all Mississippi 11th graders to take the GED or High School Equivalency Test before the end of their 11th-grade year. Students scoring below grade level on this test would lose eligibility for senior early release privileges (leaving school early during regular hours after finishing classes). The bill, which died in committee in 2026, aims to ensure academic readiness before granting senior benefits. It directly affects 11th-grade students in Mississippi public schools who seek early release privileges.