WEST virginia legislature

2019 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 501

By Senators Takubo, Maroney, Sypolt, Romano, Boso, and Cline

[Introduced February 1, 2019; Referred
to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the compensation of county board of education members; providing for compensation for board members who participate in training; providing for an increase in board member compensation for members who serve on a governing council for educational services; providing for an increase in board member compensation for members who serve on administrative council for vocational programs; and providing for reimbursement by sworn itemized statement.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

article 5. county board of education.

§18-5-4. Meetings; employment and assignment of teachers; budget hearing; compensation of members; affiliation with state and national associations.

(a) The county board shall meet upon the dates provided by law, and at any other times the county board fixes upon its records. Subject to adequate public notice, nothing in this section prohibits the county board from conducting regular meetings in facilities within the county other than the county board office. At any meeting as authorized in this section and in compliance with the provisions of chapter 18A of this code, the county board may employ qualified teachers, or those who will qualify by the time they enter upon their duties, necessary to fill existing or anticipated vacancies for the current or next ensuing school year. Meetings of the county board shall be held in compliance with the provisions of chapter 18A of this code for purposes relating to the assignment, transfer, termination and dismissal of teachers and other school employees.

(b) Special meetings may be called by the president or any three members, but no business may be transacted other than that designated in the call.

(c) In addition, a public hearing shall be held concerning the preliminary operating budget for the next fiscal year not fewer than ten days after the budget has been made available to the public for inspection and within a reasonable time prior to the submission of the budget to the state board for approval. Reasonable time shall be granted at the hearing to any person who wishes to speak regarding any part of the budget. Notice of the hearing shall be published as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of §59-3-1 et seq of this code.

(d) A majority of the members of the county board is the quorum necessary for the transaction of official business.

(e) Board members may receive compensation at a rate not to exceed $160 $200 per meeting attended, but they may not receive pay for more than 50 meetings in any one fiscal year. Board members who serve on an administrative council of a multicounty vocational center also may receive compensation for attending up to twelve meetings of the council at the same rate as for meetings of the county board. Meetings of the council are not counted as board meetings for purposes of determining the limit on compensable board meetings.

(f) Members also shall 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 county board The county board member training standards review committee, as established in §18-5-1a(g) of this code, may make a written determination that board members may be compensated at a rate not to exceed $200 per day for participating in statewide trainings conducted by the West Virginia School Board Association or other organizations approved by the state board pursuant to §18-5-1a of this code. In making such written determination, the county board member training review committee shall ensure board members’ participation in such trainings. Meetings of the council are counted as board meetings for purposes of determining the limit on compensable board meeting for which county board members may be compensated: Provided, That compensation for trainings counted as meetings shall not exceed more than two meetings per fiscal year.

(g) When, by a majority vote of its members, a county board considers it a matter of public interest, the county board may join the West Virginia School Board Association and the National School Board Association and may pay the dues prescribed by the associations and approved by action of the respective county boards. Membership dues and actual traveling expenses incurred by 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 may be made except upon sworn itemized statements. Board member compensation discussed in subsection (f) of this section shall be paid entirely from local funds.

(h) Members also shall 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 county board.

(i) Board members who serve as members on a governing council of an educational services cooperative, as established pursuant to §18-5-13c of this code, may receive compensation at a rate not to exceed $100 per meeting attended. Meetings of the council are not counted as board meetings for purposes of determining the limit on compensable board meetings.

(j) Board members who serve on an administrative council of a multicounty vocational center also may receive compensation for attending up to 12 meetings of the council at the same rate as for meetings of the county board. Meetings of the council are not counted as board meetings for purposes of determining the limit on compensable board meetings.

(k) When, by a majority vote of its members, a county board considers it a matter of public interest, the county board may join the West Virginia School Board Association and the National School Board Association and may pay the dues prescribed by the associations and approved by action of the respective county boards. Membership dues and actual traveling expenses incurred by 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 may be made except upon sworn itemized statements.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the compensation of county board of education members.

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