Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Each local school board shall determine
the number and location of schools to be opened, and the number of teachers and
other school personnel to be employed from recommendations made by the local
superintendent.
B. Each local
school board is authorized to adopt rules and regulations for its own
governance that are consistent with law and with the regulations of BESE.
1. Each member of a city and parish school
board shall receive a minimum of six hours of training and instruction annually
in the school laws of this state, in the laws governing the school boards, and
in educational trends, research, and policy. Such training shall also include
education policy issues, including but not limited to the Minimum Foundation
Program (MFP) and formula, literacy and numeracy, leadership development,
dropout prevention, career and technical education, redesigning high schools,
early childhood education, school discipline, and harassment, intimidation, and
bullying. Training shall also include instruction in Louisiana Open Meeting Law
and the Louisiana Public Bid Law. In an LEA that has one or more schools
identified as an academically unacceptable school or a school in need of
academic assistance as defined by BESE, at least two of the required hours
shall focus on the improvement of schools identified as failing schools as
defined by BESE.
2. The training
may be received from a postsecondary education institution, the LDE, the local
school board central office staff, or the Louisiana School Board Association
(LSBA) provided that the instruction and the method for demonstrating
attendance are pre-approved by the LSBA or at any conference presented by the
National School Boards Association or by the Council of the Great City Schools,
provided that verification of attendance by the school board member at the
training is obtained.
3. Each
school board member's attendance shall be reported by the instructor to the
LSBA. Each school board member who completes required instruction shall receive
a certificate of completion and a copy of such certificate shall be entered
into the minutes of the school board on which the member serves.
4. The superintendent of the school system on
which the school board member serves shall be responsible for verifying that
any training or instruction received by the school board member as set forth in
this Section meets the necessary requirements.
5. Distinguished School Board Member
a. A school board member who has received a
certificate of completion for the initial 16 hours of training and instruction
and has also received an annual certificate of completion of the required
training for three subsequent consecutive years shall receive the designation
of "distinguished school board member."
b. LDE shall issue each such member an
appropriate certificate attesting to such designation.
c. A member in office on January 1, 2011, who
has prior service on the board may receive the designation if he completes 16
hours of training during 2011 and completes the required training for the
subsequent three consecutive years.
d. At least annually, the school system
superintendent shall transmit to the newspaper which is the official journal of
the school board a press release detailing the information for his school board
that is posted on the LSBA website relative to training hours and subject
matter completed by each school board member and to include in such press
release information concerning each member who has been designated a
distinguished school board member.
C. Each city and parish school board shall
apply for, receive and expend all funds destined for the support of the schools
according to the provisions of
R.S.
17:81.
D. Each city and parish school board shall
have full and final authority and responsibility for the assignment, transfer
and continuance of all students among and within the public schools within its
jurisdiction, and shall prescribe rules and regulations pertaining to those
functions.
E. Any city or parish
school board member shall have the right to examine any or all records of the
school system except employee records relative to evaluations, observations,
formal complaints, and grievances.
F. A public trust having a city or parish
school board as its beneficiary may be created to be funded by surplus revenues
of the beneficiary school board and with the use of income produced by the
trust restricted to meeting the capital outlay needs of the school
system.
G. Individual school board
members shall not use the authority of their office to coerce or compel any
personnel decisions or any school employee decisions concerning benefits, work
assignment, or membership in any organization.
H. Each local school board shall develop and
adopt rules and policies regarding the dismissal and discipline of school
employees including but not limited to the following issues:
1. dismissing teachers at any time a
reduction in force is instituted by the school board;
2. dismissing school employees who have not
attained tenure;
3. the
investigation of employees accused of impermissible corporal punishment or
moral offenses involving students;
4. the investigation of any employee in any
case in which there is a public announcement by the board that the employee may
be disciplined, whether or not there is an accompanying reduction in employee
pay; and
5. grievance procedures
for teachers and school employees.
I. No city or parish school board shall adopt
any policy which forbids or discourages any teacher or other school board
employee from reporting directly to any appropriate law enforcement authority
any apparent criminal activity by any person involving, or appearing to
involve, controlled dangerous substances, or any other apparent illegal
activity.
1. No parish or city school board
shall adopt any policy that would have the effect of preventing or hindering
the response of law enforcement officials on school board property, to reports
of illegal activity.
J.
Each city and parish school board may enter into voluntary compacts with other
LEAs for the purpose of providing multi-parish education programs of all kinds
in accordance with
R.S.
17:100.2.
K. Each city, parish, or other local public
school board shall conduct exit interviews for teachers who leave their employ
and annually report this information to BESE. The local school board shall use
the forms and reporting system developed by BESE for this purpose.
L. No board member shall act in an individual
capacity to use the authority of his office or position as a member of the
school board in a manner intended to interfere with, compel, or coerce any
personnel decision including the hiring, promotion, discipline, demotion,
transfer, discharge, or assignment of work to any school employee.
M. No board member shall use the authority of
his office or position as a member of the school board in a manner intended to
interfere with, compel, or coerce any school employee to make any decision
concerning benefits, work assignment, or membership in any
organization.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
17:53,
R.S.
17:54,
R.S.
17:81,
17:81.2,
and
17:81.4-8,
R.S.
17:100.2, and
R.S.
17:151.
