Mississippi school drill law

What drills does Mississippi require?

Mississippi law requires principals and teachers in all public school buildings to practice fire drills until every student knows how to get out, and to hold an active shooter drill for students, teachers and staff within the first 60 days of each new semester. The statute says fire drills must happen often enough to keep students well drilled, but sets no number. The Mississippi Department of Education's (MDE's) School Safety Manual sets the counts, and the state's accreditation standards make following it part of accreditation.

The Manual's drill schedule sets counts only for fire, tornado and active shooter drills; it sets no count for earthquake, hazardous materials, evacuation-only or other drills.

What about school bus drills?

State Board Policy Rule 81.4 requires each school bus driver to perform at least two school bus evacuation drills each school year. The rule sets no date or season for those drills.

What does the state fire code say about drills?

The State Fire Marshal's rule makes the Mississippi Fire Prevention Code the most current edition of the International Fire Code (IFC). That rule took effect January 1, 2025, replacing earlier versions. The State Fire Marshal's office says it adopted the 2024 edition of the IFC as of July 1, 2024. A county or city may adopt its own fire code at least as strict as the state code; where it does, the local code applies instead of the state code. The 2024 IFC, the edition the State Fire Marshal's office says it adopted, calls for emergency evacuation drills every month in Group E (educational) buildings, with all occupants taking part. Under the 2024 IFC, the first emergency evacuation drill of each school year must be held within 10 days of the start of classes. In the 2024 IFC, Group E includes, among others, a building or part of one used for education through 12th grade by six or more occupants at any one time.

How can active shooter drills be run?

Under the Manual, a lockdown or intruder shelter-in-place drill, about as long as a fire drill, is one accepted format. A tabletop activity, where key staff talk through simulated scenarios, is another.

What records are required?

The Manual says drills must be documented in a drill file, which is checked during accreditation review. Each school must have a comprehensive School Safety Plan on file, approved every year by the local school board. Each school board must adopt a district school safety plan, with help from MDE's School Safety Center, and update it every year. The Manual also says each school must name two family reunification points, with maps to them.

Who is covered?

The statute's drill duties fall on principals and teachers in all public school buildings. They must also teach students any emergency management programs MDE designates. The drill statute, § 37-11-5, places its fire drill and active shooter drill duties on principals and teachers in public school buildings and does not name private (nonpublic) schools. Charter schools are subject to the same health and safety requirements as other public schools, except where the Charter School Act says otherwise. A charter school is not subject to State Board of Education or MDE rules, regulations, policies or procedures unless its authorizer or its charter contract requires them. Private schools may choose to seek State Board of Education accreditation; an accredited private school is judged against the Nonpublic School Accountability Standards. Under the 2026 edition of those standards, each accredited private school must have a comprehensive School Safety Plan on file, approved every year by its governing body.

What has changed, and what bills have been filed?

The active shooter drill duty was added by the Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019 (HB 1283), effective July 1, 2019. The current accreditation standards are the 2026 edition, revised June 2026. 2026 HB 1491, the Students Safe at School Act, would have required parent notice of practice active shooter drills, with a right to opt students out. It died in committee on February 3, 2026. Earlier bills with the same name also failed: 2025 HB 1627 died in committee, and 2024 HB 1379 died in conference.