SECTION 210:20-23-3. Requirements for new and incumbent school board member training

(a)   Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meaning:

(1)   "Approved instruction" means instruction provided through workshops for the purpose of meeting the school board member instruction and continuing education requirements set forth in 70 O.S. §§5-110 and 5-110.1. Workshops providing instruction to qualify for credit pursuant to this Section and 210:20-23-4 shall include all in-state workshops, seminars, conferences, and/or conventions that are conducted by the State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, and all approved local professional development programs of the board member's district. Other programs must have prior approval in writing by the State Department of Education. Requests for such approval must be in writing.

(2)   "Incumbent school board member" means an individual who currently serves as a member of a district school board by either election or appointment and who also served as a school board member through either election or appointment to the term immediately prior to the current term of office, but does not include individuals who served a short-term appointment of fifteen (15) months or less during the previous term.

(3)   "New school board member" means an individual who has been elected or appointed to serve as a member of a district school board and who has not been previously appointed or elected to serve as a school board member to the term immediately prior to the current term for which the member has been elected or appointed. For purposes of training requirements, an individual who has served a short-term appointment of fifteen (15) months or less during the previous term is considered a new school board member.

(b)   Training for new school board members. Within fifteen (15) months of the date of election or appointment, each new school board member shall complete at least twelve (12) hours of approved instruction on education issues that meet all of the following requirements:

(1)   At least one (1) hour on public school finance and/or, if appropriate, Career Technology finance;

(2)   At least one (1) hour on the Oklahoma Open Records Act and Oklahoma Open Meeting Act;

(3)   At least one (1) hour on ethics; and

(4)   At least nine (9) hours of approved instruction in other educational issues authorized by 70 O.S. § 5-110, including the following areas:

(A)   Legal issues impacting local school districts;

(B)   School employment and due process law;

(C)   New laws;

(D)   Special education law; or

(E)   Additional hours of instruction in issues related to topics set forth in (1) through (3) of this subsection, provided that no hour of instruction shall be counted more than once to meet the required twelve (12) hours of new board member instruction.

(c)   Training for incumbent school board members. Within fifteen (15) months of the date of election or appointment, each incumbent school board member shall complete at least six (6) hours of approved instruction that meets all of the following requirements:

(1)   At least one (1) hour of instruction in public school finance and/or, if appropriate, Career Technology finance;

(2)   At least one (1) hour of instruction on the Oklahoma Open Records Act and the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act;

(3)   At least one (1) hour of instruction on ethics; and

(4)   At least three (3) hours of approved instruction in other educational issues in the topics referenced in this subsection and/or in (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this Section, provided that no hour of instruction shall be counted more than once to meet the required six (6) hours of training required by this subsection.

(d)   Short-term appointments. School board members who hold their seats by appointment for less than fifteen (15) months prior to the date of the next election shall be excused from the training requirements in (b) and (c) of this Section. While training is not required for short-term appointees, in the event a short-term appointee is elected to serve on the board for the subsequent term, any hours of approved instruction earned during the short-term appointment may carry forward to apply toward the training requirements of 70 O.S. § 5-110 or 70 O.S. § 5-110.1.

(e)   Excess approved instruction credits. Any hours of approved instruction in excess of the requirements of this Section that have been earned during a school board member's current term of office may be applied toward the continuing education requirements of 70 O.S. §5-110.1, provided that:

(1)   With the exception of approved training hours earned during short-term appointments, no excess hours of approved instruction shall be permitted to carry over into a subsequent term of office; and

(2)   No hour of instruction shall be counted more than once to meet any of the training requirements set forth in this Section or in 210:20-23-4.

[Source: Added at 10 Ok Reg 2199, eff 6-11-93; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 499, eff 12-5-94 (emergency); Amended at 12 Ok Reg 1359, eff 5-25-95; Revoked at 14 Ok Reg 3334, eff 5-5-97 (emergency); Revoked at 15 Ok Reg 2248, eff 6-11-98; Added at 21 Ok Reg 612, eff 2-12-04 (emergency); Added at 21 Ok Reg 1278, eff 5-27-04; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2614, eff 6-10-08 (emergency); Amended at 26 Ok Reg 1021, eff 5-11-09; Amended at 31 Ok Reg 1206, eff 9-12-14; Amended at 34 Ok Reg 1087, eff 9-11-17]