702 KAR 1:115. Annual in-service training of district board members.
RELATES TO: KRS 156.031, 160.180
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 156.070, 160.180
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 156.031 requires that administrative regulations relating to statutes amended by the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act be reviewed, amended if necessary and resubmitted to the Legislative Research Commission prior to December 30, 1990; and KRS 160.180 provides that all local school board members shall complete an established number of hours of in-service training annually, based on the number of years of experience, and that the State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education shall identify the criteria for fulfilling such requirements. This administrative regulation establishes standards for the annual in-service training of district board members.
Section 1. The annual in-service requirements for all district school board members shall be as follows:
(1) Twelve (12) hours training for school board members with zero to three (3) years of experience.
(2) Eight (8) hours training for school board members with four (4) to seven (7) years of experience.
(3) Four (4) hours training for school board members with eight (8) or more years of experience.
(4)(a) Newly appointed or elected school board members who take office after June 30th of a particular year shall be entitled, upon appropriate request, to an extension of time under Section 5 of this administrative regulation within which to acquire a maximum number of unacquired hours equal to the difference between the required number of hours and one (1) hour per month for each full month actually served during the year, and such extensions shall extend no longer than through the remainder of the term being served or the next two (2) calendar years, whichever is longer.
(b) Newly appointed or elected members who take office prior to July 1, but on or after March 1, of a particular year may be granted an extension of time under Section 5 of this administrative regulation, in appropriate cases and for an appropriate period of time not to exceed two (2) calendar years, within which to obtain the balance of any required, but unacquired in-service hours for the initial year of new service. Any such extension to acquire hours shall not exceed the difference between the required number of hours and one (1) hour per month for each full month actually served during the year.
Section 2. The topics relating to the responsibilities of board members may include but not be limited to the following subjects:
(1) The basic role and responsibility of the district board and its members;
(2) Instructional programs;
(3) District finance;
(4) Relations with superintendent and staff;
(5) School law; and
(6) Community relations.
Section 3. (1)(a) The Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) is recognized as the provider of eight (8) hours of district board member in-service training for board members who are required to obtain twelve (12) hours annually. This arrangement equates to the KSBA being the provider of thirty-two (32) of the forty-eight (48) hours required during the four (4) year period for new board members.
(b) New, inexperienced board members shall be exposed to basic information and skills that make them informed and effective board members. Topics that new, inexperienced board members shall acquire hours in shall be offered annually by KSBA from the following list of topics:
1. School law;
2. School finance;
3. Community relations;
4. Policy development;
5. Personnel relations;
6. Instructional programs;
7. Superintendent/board relations;
8. Goal setting/decision making;
9. Employment and evaluation of the superintendent;
10. Educational services provided for the exceptional, gifted and other special population children; and
(c) KSBA shall offer hours in at least seven (7) of the ten (10) topics listed in paragraph (b) of this subsection annually. No topic shall be made available less frequently than once in every twenty-four (24) month period.
(d) Board members in the zero to three (3) year experience period shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) hours per year, or sixteen (16) hours for the four (4) year period, as flexible hours of in-service. If board members in this category opt to get all of their hours through the KSBA, then they shall have KSBA credit them for these hours. If they determine to acquire a portion or all of the sixteen (16) flexible hours through sources other than KSBA, then they shall get credit through their own school board's action at a board meeting, and a copy of that record shall be sent to KSBA so that proper credit can be given.
(2) Those district board members in the four (4) to seven (7) years experience category may acquire their hours anywhere, through any source they desire. If they obtain their hours through any source other than the KSBA, they shall have local board approval and send a copy of the record (board minutes) to KSBA.
(3) Those board members in the eight (8) or more years experience category are subject to subsection (2) of this section.
(4) As the approved provider, the KSBA shall, in cooperation with the chief state school officer, annually develop an in-service training plan for the review and approval of the State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education. In-service training for district board members shall be provided at a minimum of five (5) geographic locations, on a variety of dates.
(5) The local district board of education shall by board action certify completion of all qualifying flexible hours of in-service training in writing to KSBA, which shall combine such hours with hours of in-service training received through its approved activities. The certification to KSBA shall include a description of the time, date, location, and description of the in-service training. These records shall be submitted annually to the State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education.
Section 4. Subject to extensions granted under Section 5 of this administrative regulation, the names of all district school board members who fail to complete the required hours of in-service training shall be transmitted by the Department of Education to the Attorney General.
Section 5. The State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education, in cases of emergency, may grant an extension of time within which a local board member shall complete the required hours of in-service training. Such extensions may include true emergencies for board members serving less than a full year, based upon reasons other than merely less than a full year's service. (11 Ky.R. 351; eff. 9-11-84; Am. 13 Ky.R. 940; eff. 12-2-86; 14 Ky.R. 2214; eff. 7-21-88; 16 Ky.R. 195; 537; eff. 10-8-89; 17 Ky.R. 2017; eff. 2-7-91.)