Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi schools that don't already offer computer science courses would be required to start phasing them in, under a bill advancing at the Capitol.

Senate Bill 2678 is called the Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act. It passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday and will go to the full Senate for more discussion.

The bill says school districts would start phasing in computer science elective courses from 2022 to 2025, if money is available. The goal is to create courses for elementary, middle and high schools.

Republican Sen. Scott DeLano of Biloxi said the cost would be about $2 million a year.

C Spire Foundation, a charity connected to the Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology company C Spire, said in early January that it was pledging $1 million toward the effort.

A news release from the foundation said that fewer than half of Mississippi high schools currently teach computer science courses.