Senate Bill No. 583

(By Senators Jackson, Bailey, Blatnik, Dugan, Grubb, Oliverio, and Helmick)

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[Originating in the Committee on Education;

reported February 22, 1996.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section four, article five, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the compensation and meeting allowances for members of county boards of education.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four, article five,chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
§18-5-4. Meetings; employment and assignment of teachers; budget hearing; compensation of members; affiliation with state and national associations.

The board shall meet on the first Monday of January, except that in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-two, and every year thereafter, the board shall meet on the first Monday of July, and upon the dates provided by law for the laying of levies, and at such other times as the board may fix upon its records. At any meeting as authorized above and in compliance with the provisions of article four of this chapter, the board may employ such qualified teachers, or those who will qualify by the time of entering upon their duties, necessary to fill existing or anticipated vacancies for the current or next ensuing school year. At a meeting of the board, on or before the first Monday of May, the superintendent shall furnish in writing to the board a list of those teachers to be considered for transfer and subsequent assignment for the next ensuing school year; all other teachers not so listed shall be considered as reassigned to the positions held at the time of this meeting. Such list of those recommended for transfer shall be included in the minute record and the teachers so listed shall be notified in writing, which notice shall be delivered in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to such teachers' last-known addresses within ten days following said board meeting, of their having been so recommended for transfer and subsequent assignment.
Special meetings may be called by the president or any three members, but no business shall be transacted other than that designated in the call.
In addition, a public hearing shall be held concerning the preliminary operating budget for the next fiscal year not less than ten days after such budget has been made available to the public for inspection and within a reasonable time prior to the submission of said budget to the state board for approval and at such hearing reasonable time shall be granted to any person or persons who wish to speak regarding parts or all of such budget. Notice of such hearing shall be published as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code.
A majority of the members shall constitute the quorum necessary for the transaction of official business.
Board members may receive compensation at a rate not to exceed eighty one hundred dollars per meeting attended. But they shall not receive pay for more than fifty-two seventy-five meetings in any one fiscal year.
Members shall also be paid, upon the presentation of an itemized sworn statement, for all necessary traveling expenses, including all authorized meetings, incurred on official business, at the order of the board.
When, by a majority vote of its members, a county board deems it a matter of public interest, such board may join the West Virginia school board association and the national school board association, and may pay such dues as may be prescribed by said associations and approved by action of the respective county boards. Membership dues and actual traveling expenses of board members for attending meetings of the West Virginia school board association may be paid by their respective county boards out of funds available to meet actual expenses of the members, but no allowance shall be made except upon sworn itemized statements.