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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 461
BY SENATOR WALSWORTH
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:151(B), relative to public schools; to provide for pupil-2
classroom-teacher ratios; to provide for waivers; to provide for reporting3
requirements; and to provide for related matters.4
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:5
Section 1. R.S. 17:151(B) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 6
ยง151. Public schools; establishment by parish boards; pupil-classroom-teacher7
ratios 8
* * *9
B.(1) Except as otherwise provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection and10
effective with the 1989-1990 school year and thereafter, no parish or city school11
board shall have a systemwide pupil-classroom-teacher ratio in kindergarten through12
grade three in excess of twenty pupils to one classroom teacher.13
(2) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt14
necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Subsection and15
to assure compliance by parish and city school boards. Such rules and regulations16
shall include, but not be limited to provisions whereby a parish or city school board17
may request a limited waiver from the board from complying with the provisions of18
this Subsection relative to pupil-classroom-teacher ratios. The board shall consider19
granting such a request only upon a showing, in writing, by the particular parish or20
city school board that it has made, is making, and will continue to make a good faith21
effort to employ the necessary and appropriate personnel to meet the requirements22
of this Subsection. Additionally, no such waiver shall be granted unless the parish23
or city school system has submitted to and received the approval of the board of a24
plan designed to bring the school system into full compliance with the provisions of25
R.S. 17:151(B) by not later than the start of the 1992-1993 school year. Effective26
with the 2012-2013 school year and thereafter, the State Board of Elementary27
ACT No. 659 SB NO. 461 ENROLLED
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
and Secondary Education shall adopt necessary rules and regulations to1
implement the provisions of this Subsection to ensure compliance by city,2
parish, and other local public school boards. Such rules and regulations shall3
include but not be limited to provisions that allow a local public school board4
to request a limited waiver from the state superintendent of education from5
complying with the provisions of this Subsection relative to student-teacher6
ratios, provided that the teacher has demonstrated effectiveness as defined by7
the state board, pursuant to R.S. 17:3881 through 3905.8
(3) Not later than September first of each year, the Department of9
Education shall submit a written report to the Senate Committee on Education10
and the House Committee on Education detailing all waiver requests submitted11
by city, parish, and other local public school boards for the prior school year12
and the disposition of each request.13
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: