In quick work, the Senate unanimously approved legislation to help local schools run more efficiently by modifying timelines and streamlining posting requirements.

 

Senate Fixes Timelines; Resolves Criminal Code Conflict

In quick work, the Senate unanimously approved legislation to help local schools run more efficiently by modifying timelines and streamlining posting requirements. The upper Chamber also unanimously approved a bill to strike moot language from the criminal code that will clarify that discipline hearings can proceed for employees charged with sexual contact with students.

Requiring 30-day notice & posting timeframe

The Senate Tuesday approved two bills regarding school system personnel procedures. Both bills next go to the House Education Policy Committee.

S.14 (Dial)would require K-12 teachers to give 30-day notice when resigning from the school system. The 30 days would replace the current five-day notice and allow school systems sufficient time to find a qualified replacement for students in the classroom.

S.22 (Brewbaker)would decrease the posting time for a school personnel vacancy from 14 to seven days. The bill would require notice to be posted, at a minimum, on the school board website.

 

Senate deletes obsolete criminal language

The Senate Thursday approved S.28 (Pittman) by a 26-0 vote to repeal an obsolete provision in criminal law.

The provision prevents school boards from moving forward with disciplinary actions when an employee also is charged in the criminal justice system for sexual contact with a student. The House companion, H.27 (Baker), was temporarily carried over Thursday due to confusion on the House floor about whether the repeal in criminal code impacted due process under Students First Act (SFA). The bill does not change the SFA nor impact due process in any way. The bill deletes an obsolete provision in the criminal code.

The provision, if left intact, gives special benefits to employees charged with sexual contact with a student. Repeal is needed to ensure all employees are treated the same for disciplinary hearings. The repeal will make the law consistent. Urge final passage of S.28 (Pittman)/ H.27 (Baker).

 

Alabama cyber tech & engineering school

S.212 (Orr) would create an Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering to be located in Huntsville. The school, like the Alabama School of Math & Science located in Mobile and the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, would be an independent residential school with a board of trustees. The bill makes a conditional appropriation of $1.5 million from the ETF, which means it would only be funded after direct budget appropriations are met.

 

HVAC & competitive bid

Local school boards support the option to participate in a purchasing cooperative for heating/air conditioning units. H.69 (Standridge)would provide for an exception for counties, municipalities or school boards to contract for the purchase of heating/air conditioning units. The bill provides the exception when: 1) competitively bid pursuant to the purchasing cooperative sponsored by the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities; and 2) the bid process is approved by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. The House State Government Committee Wednesday amended the bill to remove installation of the units from the exception and affirm compliance requirements.

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State Board of Education governance changes

Members of the State Board of Education would be required to have annual training in the bill approved by voice vote in House Education Policy Committee Wednesday. H.70 (Collins) would apply the School Board Governance Improvement Act to members of the State Board of Education and add four nonvoting members to the board. New nonvoting members would be the most recent past and current Teacher of the Year, and one student delegate each elected by Alabama Boys State and Alabama Girls State.

The committee discussed the state board’s challenging year and the bill’s timing as the board searches for its next state superintendent. The committee adopted an amendment to specify training for state board members would be developed by the appropriate national professional associations and that any formal censure or reprimand would be affirmed by two-thirds of the state board. The amendment specifies a student delegate not be counted absent from school when involved in official board business. The bill is pending House floor action.

 

Additional committee action

S.101 (Orr)— Gifted program grant — would give the State Department of Education authority to offer competitive grants for gifted programs. Local school boards would be required to match any grant funds awarded. Approved by Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee.

H.114 (Greer) — Bible and scripture in schools — would permit the use of the Bible and other scripture as educational material, not for religious instruction, but for purposes of secular study. Committee members debated whether teachers are aware that the law already allows K-12 schools to use these materials. Approved by House Education Policy Committee.

H.194/H.202 (Weaver) — DNR for minors — would authorize a portable Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) for minors in the first bill. The second bill would separately and narrowly incorporate the DNR in a school setting through a task force creating a Palliative and End of Life Individual Health Plan applicable to school nurses. Approved by House Health Committee.

H.261 (Lovvorn) — AL Math & Science Teacher Education Program — (AMSTEP) would provide federal education loan repayment awards to eligible public school teachers. The program would be administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The basic program would provide $2,500 per semester in loan repayment for an eligible full-time math or science teacher with an additional $1,250 per semester available to those who teach in areas with acute shortages. Approved by House Ways and Means Education Committee.

S.151 (Smitherman)— Terrorist threat to schools — would provide that a threat to commit a violent crime against religious properties or any schools be a Class C felony terrorist threat. Senate approved by 25-0 vote.

 

Education bills introduced

S.202 (Bussman) — School bus depreciation — would increase the current depreciation schedule for school buses from 10 years to 12-years or a maximum of 200,000 miles.

H.292 (Poole) — Biennial budget et al — would provide a constitutional amendment to revise the legislative calendar and budget process. Each year, the legislature would meet for general session for 20 days, followed by a separate maximum 12-day fiscal legislative session. Lawmakers would craft the Education Trust Fund in odd- numbered years and the General Fund in even- numbered years for two-year fiscal year periods. In separate legislation, H.296 (Poole)would amend and align dates for non-renewal and notice of non-tenure of teachers should the biennial budget constitutional amendment be approved.

H.295 (Poole) — Fiscal year change— would change the state fiscal year from the current Oct. 1 through Sep. 30 cycle to July 1 through June 30 of each year.

Lissa Tucker

AASB Director of Governmental Relations

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org