§53. School board members; training required

            A.(1) Each member of a city, parish, and other local public school board shall receive a minimum of sixteen hours of training and instruction during his first year of service on the board in order to receive the designation of "Distinguished School Board Member" pursuant to Paragraph (B)(3) of this Section.

            (2) Except as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, each member of a city, parish, and other local public school board shall receive a minimum of six hours of training and instruction annually.

            (3) The training and instruction referred to in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection shall be in the school laws of this state; in the laws governing the powers, duties, and responsibilities of city, parish, and other local public school boards; and in educational trends, research, and policy. Such training and instruction also shall include education policy issues, including but not limited to special education, the minimum foundation program and formula, literacy and numeracy, leadership development, dropout prevention, career and technical education, redesigning high schools, early childhood education, school discipline, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Training also shall include instruction relative to the provisions of the Open Meetings Law, R.S. 42:11 et seq., and the public bid law, Chapter 10 of Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

            (4) In a city, parish, or other local public school district that has one or more schools identified as academically unacceptable or in need of academic assistance as defined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to policies developed and adopted by the board for implementation of the school and district accountability system, at least two of the hours referred to in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection shall focus on the improvement of schools identified as failing schools as defined by the state board pursuant to such policies.

            B.(1) Any such instruction required by Subsection A of this Section may be received from any of the following sources:

            (a) A postsecondary education institution in this state.

            (b) Instruction sponsored by the state Department of Education.

            (c) An in-service training program conducted by a city, parish, or other local public school board central office or the Louisiana School Boards Association provided that the instruction and the method for demonstrating attendance are preapproved by the Louisiana School Boards Association.

            (d) Training and instruction received at any conference presented by the National School Boards Association or by the Council of the Great City Schools, provided that verification of attendance by the school board member at any such training is obtained.

            (2) Each school board member's attendance shall be reported by the instructor to the Louisiana School Boards Association.

            (3) The postsecondary education institution, the state Department of Education, the school board central office, or the Louisiana School Boards Association that provides such instruction shall issue a certificate of completion annually to each school board member who completes the instruction required by this Section, and a copy of such certificate shall be entered into the minutes of the school board on which such member serves. The superintendent of the school system on which school board the member serves shall be responsible for verifying that any of the training or instruction received by the school board member pursuant to Subsections A and B of this Section meets the requirements of this Section.

            (4) A school board member who has received a certificate of completion for the initial sixteen hours of training and instruction required by Paragraph (A)(1) of this Section and has also received an annual certificate of completion of the training required by Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section for the subsequent three consecutive years shall receive the designation of "Distinguished School Board Member" and the State Department of Education shall issue each such member an appropriate certificate attesting to such designation. A school board member in office on January 1, 2011, who has prior service on the board may receive the designation if he receives a certificate of completion of sixteen hours of training during 2011 and receives a certificate of completion of the required training for the subsequent three consecutive years.

            C.(1) The Louisiana School Boards Association shall post on its website regularly updated information relative to the number and subject matter of training hours completed by each school board member pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

            (2) At least annually, the superintendent of the school system on which school board the member serves shall transmit to the newspaper which is the official journal of the school board a press release detailing the information for his school board that is posted on the Louisiana School Boards Association website pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and also shall include in such press release information concerning each school board member who has been designated a "Distinguished School Board Member" pursuant to Paragraph (B)(4) of this Section.

            Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 66, §1; Acts 2008, No. 380, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 552, §1; Acts 2010, No. 705, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2010, No. 861, §8; Acts 2024, No. 198, §1.