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ACT No. 705
Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE BILL NO. 488
BY REPRESENTATIVES HARRISON, CARTER, GISCLAIR, HARDY, AND ST.
GERMAIN
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:53, relative to training and instruction of school board2
members; to require each member of a local public school board to receive certain3
training; to authorize certain training during a member's first year of service; to4
provide for the designation of Distinguished School Board Member for school board5
members completing certain training; to require certain dissemination of information6
about training completed by school board members; and to provide for related7
matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. R.S. 17:53 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 10
ยง53. School board members; training required11
A.(1) Each member of a city, parish, and other local public school board12
shall receive a minimum of sixteen hours of training and instruction during his first13
year of service on the board in order to receive the designation of "Distinguished14
School Board Member" pursuant to Paragraph (B)(3) of this Section.15
(2) Each Except as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, each16
member of a city, parish, and other local public school board shall receive a17
minimum of four six hours of training and instruction annually.18
(3) The training and instruction referred to in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this19
Subsection shall be in the school laws of this state, in the laws governing the powers,20
duties, and responsibilities of city, parish, and other local public school boards, and21
in educational trends, research, and policy. In a city, parish, or other local public22
school district that has one or more schools identified as an academically23 ENROLLEDHB NO. 488
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unacceptable school or a school in need of academic assistance as defined by the1
State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to policies developed2
and adopted by the board for implementation of the school and district accountability3
system, at least two of such hours shall focus on the improvement of schools4
identified as failing schools as defined by the state board pursuant to such policies.5
The remaining hours shall focus on Such training and instruction shall also include6
education policy issues, including but not limited to the minimum foundation7
program and formula, literacy and numeracy, leadership development, dropout8
prevention, career and technical education, redesigning high schools, early childhood9
education, school discipline, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Training10
shall also include instruction relative to the provisions of the Open Meetings Law,11
R.S. 42:4.1 et seq., and the Public Bid Law, Chapter 10 of Title 38 of the Louisiana12
Revised Statutes of 1950.13
(4) In a city, parish, or other local public school district that has one or more14
schools identified as academically unacceptable or in need of academic assistance15
as defined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to16
policies developed and adopted by the board for implementation of the school and17
district accountability system, at least two of the hours referred to in Paragraphs (1)18
and (2) of this Subsection shall focus on the improvement of schools identified as19
failing schools as defined by the state board pursuant to such policies.20
B.(1) Such instruction may be received from a postsecondary education21
institution in this state, from instruction sponsored by the state Department of22
Education, or from an in-service training program conducted by a city, parish, or23
other local public school board central office or the Louisiana School Boards24
Association provided that the instruction and the method for demonstrating25
attendance are pre-approved by the Louisiana School Boards Association. Each26
school board member's attendance must be reported by the instructor to the27
Louisiana School Boards Association.28
B. (2) The postsecondary education institution, the state Department of29
Education, the school board central office, or the Louisiana School Boards30 ENROLLEDHB NO. 488
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Association that provides such instruction shall issue a certificate of completion1
annually to each school board member who completes the instruction required by2
this Section, and a copy of such certificate shall be entered into the minutes of the3
school board on which such member serves. The superintendent of the school4
system on which school board the member serves shall be responsible for verifying5
that the instruction meets the requirements of this Section.6
(3) A school board member who has received a certificate of completion for7
the initial sixteen hours of training and instruction required by Paragraph (A)(1) of8
this Section and has also received an annual certificate of completion of the training9
required by Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section for the subsequent three consecutive10
years shall receive the designation of "Distinguished School Board Member" and the11
State Department of Education shall issue each such member an appropriate12
certificate attesting to such designation. A school board member in office on January13
1, 2011, who has prior service on the board may receive the designation if he14
receives a certificate of completion of sixteen hours of training during 2011 and15
receives a certificate of completion of the required training for the subsequent three16
consecutive years.17
C.(1) The Louisiana School Boards Association shall post on its web site18
website regularly updated information relative to the number and subject matter of19
training hours completed by each school board member pursuant to the provisions20
of this Section.21
(2) At least annually, the superintendent of the school system on which22
school board the member serves shall transmit to the newspaper which is the official23
journal of the school board a press release detailing the information for his school24
board that is posted on the Louisiana School Boards Association website pursuant25
to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and shall also include in such press release26
information concerning each school board member who has been designated a27
"Distinguished School Board Member" pursuant to Paragraph (B)(3) of this Section.28 ENROLLEDHB NO. 488
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Section 2. This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2011.1
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: