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Amend the amendment in Part XXXX by inserting after section 46 the following:
‘Sec. XXXX-47. Super union configuration. The Department of Education shall develop 2 board structures to govern school unions, the consolidation of school unions or the consolidation of a school union and a school district, which configuration is called a "super union." The department shall structure the governance of a super union by both a super union committee and individual local school committees. Each of the 2 structures must have separate and distinct functions.
1. Super union committee. Under the structure developed by the department, the super union committee must be structured in accordance with this subsection. The super union committee is composed of the board chairs or other designated board members from each of the individual local school committees with a weighted vote that is exactly the same as current joint union committees. The local committee members make up the super union committee. The functions of the super union committee are:
A. To cooperatively employ a superintendent and necessary support staff;
B. To develop and recommend common policies for all schools in the super union;
C. To develop and approve a budget that supports all centralized services common to the entire super union. The services may include but are not limited to:
(1) Financial management;
(2) Human resources management;
(3) Joint purchasing;
(4) Contract bargaining;
(5) Recruitment of school employees;
(6) Plant and facilities management;
(7) Technology management;
(8) Federal grant management;
(9) Curriculum coordination;
(10) Professional development and planning and coordination;
(11) Coordination of distance learning and Internet course coordination;
(12) Itinerant teacher plan;
(13) Special education management;
(14) Special education specialists;
(15) Gifted and talented program management; and
(16) Budget preparation for all municipalities in the super union.
 
The super union committee shall evaluate the superintendent. The superintendent shall meet with the super union committee on a monthly basis. The superintendent shall meet the local school committees to present budgets, nominate teachers and principals and advise on legal matters. The building principal in each school shall meet and report to the local school committee on a regular basis.
2. Local school committees.  Under the structure developed by the department, the local school committees must be responsible for the following:
A. Adopting recommended policies from the super union committee;
B. Reviewing and adopting textbooks and courses of study recommended by the super union committee;
C. Preparing and adopting an annual school budget;
D. School facility planning;
E. Communicating with the public; and
F. Holding hearings on matters such as employee dismissals or student expulsions.
 
Local school committees that have no school in their municipalities shall meet with the superintendent or the superintendent's designee to develop and approve a local school budget; hear potential or existing community concerns; and hear reports on student performance.
 
The majority of local school committee meetings must be with the local building principal and members of the public.
3. Local building principal. Under the structure developed by the department, the local building principal must be responsible for the following:
A. Informing committee members of all school functions;
B. Informing committee members of the status of school initiatives;
C. Informing committee members of curriculum development progress;
D. Informing committee members of levels of student achievement;
E. Informing committee members of Department of Education initiatives;
F. Scheduling student and teacher presentations for the committee members;
G. Reporting on the condition of the physical plant;
H. Reporting on possible grant opportunities;
I. Recommending staffing assignments;
J. Presenting the school calendar for committee approval;
K. Informing the committee of all professional development activities; and
L. Distributing monthly written reports from the superintendent.
 
The Department of Education shall submit the proposed board structures together with any necessary implementing legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 15, 2008. Following receipt and review of the report, the joint standing committee may submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment requires the Department of Education to develop 2 board structures to govern school unions, the consolidation of school unions or the consolidation of a school union and a school district and to report back to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)