SECTION 612:20-2-31. Reduction in Force for Contracted Instructional Personnel

(a)   Declining Enrollment. If declining student enrollment in a given program area or serious financial shortfall makes it necessary to eliminate or consolidate positions held by contracted instructional personnel, the Department will follow the following procedure:

(1)   Any necessary reduction in staff will, to the extent possible, be handled through normal attrition by voluntary retirements or resignations. In the event that a teacher's position is eliminated, the teacher will be transferred to a vacant position, if any, which he or she is certified to teach.

(2)   Probationary teachers will be released based on reverse order of seniority before career teachers who are qualified to hold positions currently held by probationary teachers.

(3)   If normal attrition and the release of probationary teachers who hold positions that career teachers are qualified to teach do not sufficiently reduce the certified staff, the following criteria will be considered in the reduction process in the order they are listed:

(A)   Seniority at the School.

(B)   Length of service in current assignment

(C)   Academic and professional preparation beyond minimum certification requirements

(D)   Total number of years teaching experience

(b)   Recall. Staff will be recalled in reverse order of layoff. For one year after the effective date of termination pursuant to this procedure's provisions, the Department shall offer to a teacher who has been terminated all positions that become available for which he or she is certified in reverse order of layoff. The offer will be made by certified mail, return receipt requested, and the teacher will be notified that he or she must submit written acceptance within ten calendar days. No new teachers will be hired in a subject area or grade level until all laid off teachers qualified for the position have been recalled or decline the opening.

[Source: Added at 21 Ok Reg 1810, eff 7-1-04]