JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A new law will require the Mississippi Department of Education to set a computer science curriculum for K-12 schools by the 2024-25 academic year.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 633 on Wednesday, and it will become law July 1.
The Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology company C Spire asked Mississippi legislators to make computer science classes available in all elementary schools, middle schools and high schools by 2024-25. A C Spire news release said 48% of Mississippi high schools currently teach computer science.
The release said that Mississippi employers have unfilled jobs because of a shortage of trained, qualified information technology and computing workers.
C Spire Foundation, a charity connected to the company, announced in January that it was committing $1 million to help Mississippi school districts start computer science classes.
C Spire has been promoting computer science education in Mississippi since 2015 with coding challenges, coding academies and accelerated degree programs.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
