2024 Regular Session - Day 45 - HB 449, Rep. Steve Riley

but it's worth noting that the sub fixed the drafting error that inadvertently affected the hiring and firing of a superintendent let me be clear this bill does not change that the bill before us does three things first it fixes a growing problem where candidates who want to run for Schoolboard must produce a copy of their High School transcript to be eligible there are many instances where a physical copy of the transcript no longer exists the gentleman from Christian 9 told me a story about a constituent of his that was a retired school teacher and could not run from the school board because she could not produce a physical transcript this legislation allows a candidate to supply a sworn affidavit that they graduated high school the second part of this bill amends the type of training requirements for elected school board members current Law requires training every year on how to conduct superintendent evaluations and how to manage School finances this can become repetitive for a member who's been on the board for four eight or 12 years to take the same training over and over every year the bill changes the requirement to require training on those two specific specific topics once within the first two years in office it does not change the minimum training hours it only allows Schoolboard members to take continuing training on multiple topics offered through curriculum developed by the Kentucky School Board Association finally the bill addresses the code of ethics the bill requires every school board member to adopt a minimum code of ethics developed by the Kentucky school boards Association which nearly all districts already do by adopting an official ethics policy this allows the Office of Education accountability to investigate any board member who has alleged substantially violated the code of ethics the oea decides of the allegations merits in investigation and if so it can investigate a board member if the violation merits further action the OA can submit its findings to the attorney general who can then initiate its own investigation and potentially remove a board member for substantially violating the code of ethics I want to note that oea cannot remove an elected School Board member only the Attorney General can and currently the Attorney General can remove a school board member for several other infractions including the violation of hiring practices and contact attracting or moving out of the district Mr Speaker if there are no questions I move for passes of House Bill 449 as amended by house committee substitute one