2006 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1394 – School dist employee, evaluations

SENATE BILL NO. 1394

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Bill Status



S1394..........................................................by EDUCATION
SCHOOL DISTRICTS - NONCERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES - Amends existing law relating
to noncertificated personnel employed by a school district to provide for
an evaluation of each noncertificated employee before January 15 of each
school year; to provide a probationary period for an employee with at least
180 days of employment whose job performance is found to be unsatisfactory;
to provide for supervisory assistance during the probationary period; to
revise the grievance procedure to include an informal review before the
board upon request of an employee; to provide for written notice by May 15
of each year of employment status for the following school year; and to
require each board of trustees to establish a process for meeting and
conferring on terms and conditions of employment upon request of a majority
of noncertificated employees.
                                                                        
02/13    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/14    Rpt prt - to Educ

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1394
                                                                        
                                   BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO NONCERTIFICATED PERSONNEL EMPLOYED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT;  AMENDING
  3        SECTION 33-517, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR AN EVALUATION OF EACH NONCERTI-
  4        FICATED  EMPLOYEE BEFORE JANUARY 15 OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR, TO PROVIDE A PRO-
  5        BATIONARY PERIOD FOR AN EMPLOYEE WITH AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS  OF
  6        EMPLOYMENT WHOSE JOB PERFORMANCE IS FOUND TO BE UNSATISFACTORY, TO PROVIDE
  7        FOR  SUPERVISORY  ASSISTANCE DURING THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD, TO REVISE THE
  8        GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE TO INCLUDE AN INFORMAL REVIEW BEFORE  THE  BOARD  UPON
  9        REQUEST  OF  AN  EMPLOYEE, TO PROVIDE FOR WRITTEN NOTICE BY MAY 15 OF EACH
 10        YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR, TO  REQUIRE  EACH
 11        BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  TO  ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR MEETING AND CONFERRING ON
 12        TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT UPON REQUEST OF A MAJORITY OF NONCERTI-
 13        FICATED EMPLOYEES, TO PROVIDE PROPER TERMINOLOGY, TO REFORMAT THE  SECTION
 14        AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
                                                                        
 15    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 16        SECTION  1.  That  Section  33-517, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 17    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 18        33-517.  NONCERTIFICATED PERSONNEL. The board of trustees of  each  school
 19    district  including any specially chartered district, shall have the following
 20    powers and duties:
 21        (1)  To provide that hiring and evaluation procedures for  noncertificated
 22    personnel  shall  be in writing and shall be available for any noncertificated
 23    employee's review at anytime any time. A noncertificated employee of a  school
 24    district  shall be required to review and sign any entries made to his person-
 25    nel file. At reasonable times and places, in the presence  of  an  appropriate
 26    district  official, a noncertificated employee may inspect documents contained
 27    in his official personnel file.
 28        (a)  Job descriptions for all noncertificated employees shall  be  written
 29        and  shall  be made available to employees of the district or other people
 30        seeking employment.
 31        (b)  At least one (1) evaluation shall be completed on each  noncertifica-
 32        ted employee before January 15 of each school year.
 33        (c)  Following  employment  in a school district for no less than one hun-
 34        dred eighty (180) days, a noncertificated employee whose  job  performance
 35        is  found  to be unsatisfactory shall be provided a probationary period of
 36        at least eight (8) weeks. Written notice of such probation shall be  given
 37        to  the employee prior to commencement of the probationary period, includ-
 38        ing a description of the areas of performance that are deemed  inadequate.
 39        The  employee's  supervisor  shall  review the probationary provisions and
 40        assist the employee in developing a written plan of  action  for  improve-
 41        ment,  including identifying standards for success. No probationary period
 42        shall be required in instances of an  employee's  misconduct  or  criminal
 43        behavior.
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1        (2)  To provide a grievance procedure for noncertificated employees of the
  2    district  which  meets  the minimum standards of paragraphs (a) through (i) of
  3    this subsection. In the event a grievance procedure is not provided, the  fol-
  4    lowing grievance procedure shall apply.
  5        (a)  A grievance shall be defined as a written allegation of unfair treat-
  6        ment  or a violation of school district policy. A noncertificated employee
  7        of  the  district  may  file  a  grievance about any matter related to his
  8        employment, provided that neither the  rate  of  salary  or  wage  of  the
  9        employee  nor  the  decision to terminate an employee for cause during the
 10        initial one hundred eighty (180) days of employment shall be a proper sub-
 11        ject for consideration under the grievance procedure provided in this sec-
 12        tion.
 13        (b)  If a noncertificated employee files a grievance, the  employee  shall
 14        submit  the grievance in writing to his or her immediate supervisor within
 15        six (6) working days of the incident giving rise  to  the  grievance.  The
 16        grievance  shall  state the nature of the grievance and the remedy sought.
 17        Within six (6) working days of receipt of  the  grievance,  the  immediate
 18        supervisor shall provide a written response to the employee.
 19        (c)  If the noncertificated employee is not satisfied with the response of
 20        the immediate supervisor or if there is no response within the time lines,
 21        the  employee  may  appeal the grievance to the superintendent of the dis-
 22        trict or the superintendent's designee within five (5) working days of the
 23        receipt of the response as set out in subsection (2)(b) of this section or
 24        within five (5) working days from the date  the  supervisor  last  had  to
 25        respond  if  the  noncertificated  employee  received no written response.
 26        Within six (6) working days of an appeal, the superintendent or his desig-
 27        nee shall communicate with the noncertificated employee in  an  effort  to
 28        resolve the appeal. Within five (5) working days of the communication, the
 29        superintendent  or  his  designee  shall provide a written response to the
 30        noncertificated employee.
 31        (d)  If the noncertificated employee is not satisfied with the response of
 32        the superintendent or his designee, or if there  is  no  response  by  the
 33        superintendent  or  his designee within the time frame provided in subsec-
 34        tion (2)(c) of this section, the noncertificated employee  may  request  a
 35        review  of  the  grievance by a hearing panel within five (5) working days
 36        from receipt of the response provided in subsection (2)(c) of this section
 37        if the employee received a written response, or five (5) working days from
 38        the date the superintendent last had to  respond  if  the  noncertificated
 39        employee  received  no  written  response. Within ten (10) working days of
 40        receipt of an appeal, the board of trustees shall convene a panel consist-
 41        ing of three (3) persons;: one (1) designated by the  board  of  trustees,
 42        one (1) designated by the employee, and one (1) agreed upon by the two (2)
 43        appointed members for the purpose of reviewing the appeal. Within five (5)
 44        working  days  following  completion of the review, the panel shall submit
 45        its decision in writing to the noncertificated employee, the  superintend-
 46        ent, and the board of trustees.
 47        (e)  The  panel's decision shall be the final and conclusive resolution of
 48        the grievance unless the board of trustees  overturns  finds  the  panel's
 49        decision  by resolution at the board of trustees' next regularly scheduled
 50        public meeting or unless unacceptable. Prior to a final  decision  by  the
 51        board,  the  employee  may  request  an  informal review before the board.
 52        Wwithin forty-two (42) calendar days of the filing of  the  board's  final
 53        decision,  either  party  may  appeals to the district court in the county
 54        where the school district is located. Upon appeal of  a  decision  of  the
 55        board  of  trustees, the district court may affirm or set aside and remand
                                                                        
                                           3
                                                                        
  1        the matter to the board of trustees upon the following grounds, and  shall
  2        not set the same aside on any other grounds:
  3             (i)   That  the  findings  of  fact are not based on any substantial,
  4             competent evidence;
  5             (ii)  That the board of trustees has acted without jurisdiction or in
  6             excess of its powers;
  7             (iii) That the findings by the board of trustees as a matter  of  law
  8             do not support the decision.
  9        (f)  A  noncertificated  employee filing a grievance pursuant to this sec-
 10        tion shall be entitled to a representative of  the  employee's  choice  at
 11        each  step of the grievance procedure provided in this section. The super-
 12        visor, superintendent, or the superintendent's designee shall be  entitled
 13        to a representative at each step of the grievance procedure.
 14        (g)  The time lines of the grievance procedure established in this section
 15        may be waived or modified by mutual agreement.
 16        (h)  Utilization  of  the grievance procedure established pursuant to this
 17        section shall not constitute a waiver of any  right  of  appeal  available
 18        pursuant to law or regulation.
 19        (i)  Neither  the  board  nor  any member of the administration shall take
 20        reprisals affecting the employment status of any party in interest.
 21        (j)  A noncertificated employee of a school district shall be required  to
 22        review  and  sign  any  entries  made to his personnel file. At reasonable
 23        times and places, in the presence of an appropriate district  official,  a
 24        noncertificated  employee  may inspect documents contained in his official
 25        personnel file.
 26        (3)  To provide each noncertificated employee of the school  district,  by
 27    no  later than May 15 of each year, written notice regarding employment status
 28    for the following school year. If the board intends to  reemploy  the  person,
 29    such  notice  shall offer reasonable assurance of continued employment. If the
 30    board has decided not to reemploy the person,  such  notice  shall  contain  a
 31    statement of reasons for the decision not to reemploy.
 32        (4)  To establish a process for meeting and conferring on terms and condi-
 33    tions of employment, upon request of a majority of the noncertificated employ-
 34    ees of the district.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                            RS 16023C1

     The purpose of this legislation is to provide a system of
fair employment practices for school districts to utilize
regarding classified employees.  Specific provisions include:
assurance of at least one evaluation for each employee annually,
a probationary period for employees whose performance is less
than satisfactory, timely notice of reasonable assurance of re-
employment for the succeeding school year, a process for an
informal review for grievance resolution, and assurance that a
meet-and-confer process will be utilized if requested by a
majority of classified employees.


                          FISCAL IMPACT

     There is no fiscal impact on the state's general fund.




 Contact  
Name:  Senator Goedde
Phone: 322-1330


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                        S 1394