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Committee Substitute House Bill 2738 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 2738

By Delegates Espinosa, Statler, dean, Blair,   Higginbotham, Moore, Wilson, Cooper and Upson

[Originating in the Committee on Education.]

March 15, 2017

A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-2-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating generally to the transfer of school personnel; providing flexibility in the employee transfer process; removing April 1 deadline for notifying employee that he or she is being considered for transfer; specifying circumstances which must be known or expected for considerations of transfer;  requiring employee to be transferred be provided with a statement of the reason for the proposed transfer; removing requirement that employee to be transferred request reason for transfer in writing; requiring hearing on proposed transfer occur within twenty days of receipt of a hearing request; removing May 1 deadline for list of employees considered for transfer to be furnished to board; requiring written notice to employee following board meeting and if approved by the board, stating transfer and reassignment and reasons; requiring transferred employee to report to the new assignment upon the date specified in the notice, but no sooner than ten days following receipt of notice, unless another date can be mutually agreed upon by the superintendent and employee; making all transfers subject to limitations of other provisions respecting special populations and service personnel; removing the reassignment process that can occur when actual student enrollment in a grade level or program is unforeseen on or before May 1 of the preceding school year; and retaining provisions limiting transfers to least senior qualified personnel and prohibiting change in contract term, compensation or benefits as result of reassignment. 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:


That §18A-2-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. SCHOOL PERSONNEL.


§18A-2-7. Assignment, transfer, promotion, demotion, suspension and recommendation of dismissal of school personnel by superintendent; preliminary notice of transfer; hearing on the transfer; proof required.


(a) The superintendent, subject only to approval of the board, may assign, transfer, promote, demote or suspend school personnel and recommend their dismissal pursuant to provisions of this chapter. However, an employee shall be notified in writing by the superintendent on or before April 1 if he or she is being considered for transfer or to be transferred. Only those employees whose consideration for transfer or intended transfer is based upon known or expected circumstances financial, educational or programmatic needs which will require the transfer of employees shall be considered for transfer or intended for transfer and the notification shall be limited to only those employees and shall contain a statement of the reason for the proposed transfer. Any teacher or employee who desires to protest the proposed transfer may request in writing a statement of the reasons for the proposed transfer. The statement of reasons shall be delivered to the teacher or employee within ten days of the receipt of the request. Within ten days of the receipt of the statement of the reasons notification of transfer, the teacher or employee may make written demand upon the superintendent for a hearing on the proposed transfer before the county board. The hearing on the proposed transfer shall be held on or before May 1 within twenty days of the receipt of the hearing request.  At the hearing, the reasons for the proposed transfer must be shown.

(b) The superintendent at a meeting of the board on or before May 1 shall furnish in writing to the board a list of teachers and other employees to be considered for transfer and subsequent assignment for the next ensuing school year. An employee who was not provided notice and an opportunity for a hearing pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may not be included on the list. All other teachers and employees not so listed shall be considered as reassigned to the positions or jobs held at the time of this meeting. The list of those recommended for transfer shall be included in the minute record of the meeting and all those so listed The employee shall be notified in writing and which shall be delivered within ten days following the board meeting, with written receipt notification documented by the superintendent, and if approved by the board, shall state that the person is being recommended for transfer and subsequent assignment transferred and reassigned and the reasons therefore. Upon receipt of the transfer notice the employee shall report to the new assignment upon the date specified in the notice, but no sooner than ten days following receipt of notice, unless another date can be mutually agreed upon by the superintendent and employee.

(c) The superintendent's authority to suspend school personnel shall be temporary only pending a hearing upon charges filed by the superintendent with the county board and the period of suspension may not exceed thirty days unless extended by order of the board.

(d) The provisions of this section respecting hearing upon notice of transfer are not applicable in emergency situations where a school building becomes damaged or destroyed through an unforeseeable act and which act necessitates a transfer of the school personnel because of the aforementioned condition of the building.

(e) All transfers pursuant to this section are subject to the provisions of subsection (b), section seven-b of this article and subsection (m), section eight, article four of this chapter.

(f) A professional employee reassigned under this subsection shall be the least senior of the surplus professional personnel who holds certification or licensure to perform the duties at the other school or at the grade level or program within the school.

(g) A service employee reassigned under this subsection shall be the least senior of the surplus personnel who holds the same classification or multiclassification needed to perform the duties at the other school or at the grade level or program within the same school.

(h) No school employee's annual contract term, compensation or benefits shall be changed as a result of a reassignment under this subsection.

(e) Notwithstanding this section or any provision of this code, when actual student enrollment in a grade level or program, unforeseen on or before May 1 of the preceding school year, permits the assignment of fewer teachers or service personnel to or within a school under any pupil-teacher ratio, class size or caseload standard established in section eighteen-a, article five, chapter eighteen of this code or any policy of the state board, the superintendent, with board approval, may reassign the surplus personnel to another school or to another grade level or program within the school if needed there to comply with any such pupil-teacher ratio, class size or caseload standard.

(1) Before any reassignment may occur pursuant to this subsection, notice shall be provided to the employee and the employee shall be provided an opportunity to appear before the county board to state the reasons for his or her objections, if any, prior to the board voting on the reassignment.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the reassignment may be made without following the notice and hearing provisions of this section, and at any time during the school year when the conditions of this subsection are met: Provided, That the reassignment may not occur after the last day of the second school month.

(3) A professional employee reassigned under this subsection shall be the least senior of the surplus professional personnel who holds certification or licensure to perform the duties at the other school or at the grade level or program within the school.

(4) A service employee reassigned under this subsection shall be the least senior of the surplus personnel who holds the same classification or multiclassification needed to perform the duties at the other school or at the grade level or program within the same school.

(5) No school employee's annual contract term, compensation or benefits shall be changed as a result of a reassignment under this subsection.

 

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

 

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