Senate Bill No. 144-Committee on Human Resources and Facilities
February 19, 1997
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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities
SUMMARY--Requires school districts to prescribe rules for school-based decision making and to conduct evaluation of statutes relating to education. (BDR 34-243)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.
EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to education; requiring the board of trustees of a school district to prescribe rules for the creation and administration of a program of school-based decision making; requiring each of those boards to review and evaluate certain provisions relating to education and to submit a report to the department of education relating thereto; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1 NRS 386.4154 is hereby amended to read as follows:
386.4154The board of trustees of a school district [may] shall, in consultation with each employee organization recognized by the school district pursuant to chapter 288 of NRS as representative of any educational personnel of the school district, prescribe rules relating to the creation and administration of a program of school-based decision making for the public schools within the district. Each consultation must be open to the public. The rules must provide:
1. For the creation of a school council;
2. For the involvement of employees of the school district, parents and other members of the community on and with the school council;
3. The requirements for [recordkeeping] keeping records by the school council;
4. The procedure for appealing a decision of the school council;
5. The procedure for a school to obtain a waiver of the requirements of regulations of the board of trustees or the state board;
6. A method for determining the progress of a pupil in a program of school-based decision making;
7. A method for reporting the progress of a pupil to the pupil, his parents or guardians, the board of trustees and the state board;
8. Plans for improving the schools within the district;
9. A method for allocating money to schools that have adopted a program of school-based decision making and for the administration of the budget of the school district; and
10. The procedure which a school council or board of trustees may use to withdraw from a program of school-based decision making.
Sec. 2 Section 5 of chapter 664, Statutes of Nevada 1993, as amended by section 1 of chapter 343, Statutes of Nevada 1995, at page 862, is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 5. This act becomes effective on July 1, 1993 . [, and expires by limitation on June 30, 1999.]
Sec. 3 1. The board of trustees of each county school district shall:
(a) Review and evaluate the provisions of NRS relating to education provided in public schools; and
(b) Determine whether any legislation is required to amend those provisions to improve the quality of education in those schools.
2. The review and evaluation must include:
(a) An assessment of the courses of study required to be taught in the public schools of this state pursuant to chapter 389 of NRS, including any proposed additions and deletions to those courses of study;
(b) An explanation for each finding and recommendation of the board of trustees; and
(c) A plan for carrying out any legislation recommended by the board of trustees.
3. The board of trustees of each county school district shall, as part of conducting the review and evaluation required by subsection 1, hold at least two public hearings to receive comments from the residents of the school district concerning the review and evaluation.
4. On or before February 1, 1998, the board of trustees of each county school district shall submit to the department of education a report of its review and evaluation conducted pursuant to this section.
5. Upon receipt of the reports, the department of education shall:
(a) Prepare a report that includes a compilation of the information included in the reports submitted to it pursuant to subsection 4; and
(b) Not later than June 1, 1998, submit a copy of the report to the legislative committee on education.
Sec. 4 The legislative committee on education shall, for each year of the biennium beginning on July 1, 1997, and ending on June 30, 1999, review the performance of each school district that is located in a county whose population is 100,000 or more. The review:
1. Must include an examination of the fiscal administration of the school district, including methods used to control the expenditures of the district; and
2. May include an examination of any other matters concerning the operation of the school district that is determined to be necessary by the committee.
Sec. 5 1. This section and sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective on July 1, 1997.
2. Sections 3 and 4 of this act become effective on the effective date of legislation that is enacted by the 69th session of the Nevada legislature to create a legislative committee on education.