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            A. For purposes of this Section, “school support employee” shall mean, without limitation, teacher aides and paraprofessionals, school bus operators, food service workers, clerical, custodial, and maintenance personnel, and any other employee of a city, parish, or other local public school board who is not required to hold a teacher’s certificate as a condition of employment.

            B.(1) Beginning with the 1990-1991 school year and annually thereafter, the superintendent of each such system shall select one school support employee from the elementary schools in the system, one school support employee from the middle or junior high schools in the system, and one school support employee from the high schools in the system to receive the outstanding elementary school, outstanding middle or junior high school, and outstanding high school support employee of the year award.

            (2) The selection of these three outstanding school support employees shall be based upon minimum criteria established by the state Department of Education with the approval of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and shall include the establishment of objective procedures to consider the following factors:

            (a) Skill and dedication.

            (b) Plans to continue active employment status.

            (c) Respect of and rapport with students.

            (d) Respect of and rapport with coworkers.

            (e) Respect of and rapport with teachers.

            (f) Community leadership.

            (3) The department with the approval of the board shall establish procedures to include school support employees from special schools in the selection process.

            (4) The department with the approval of the board shall establish procedures for the categorization of school support employees into each classification specified in Subsection A for purposes of selection of recipients for such awards.

            C. Any nominations from each school system participating in the school support employee of the year awards program shall be submitted by each school principal to the city, parish, or other local public school system superintendent and shall be made by school support employees or school support employee groups through use of procedures established by the local system for this purpose. The final selection process shall include a formal mechanism to obtain school support employee, teacher, and community recommendations and opinions.

            D. The superintendent for each school system participating in the school support employee of the year awards program shall report to the state Department of Education on the three selections made from the respective school system for outstanding school support employee of the year.

            E. Award recipients shall be suitably recognized by award by the local superintendent of an appropriate plaque or certificate of merit at a reception or other honorary meeting or ceremony. The recipients may also be presented a monetary award by the local superintendent in an amount approved by the local school board. Such monetary award shall not be a violation of La. Rev. Stat. 42:1111 or any other provision of the Code of Governmental Ethics. The state Department of Education shall provide for recognition of award recipients by the state superintendent of education.

            Acts 1990, No. 1081, §1; Acts 1993, No. 648, §1, eff. June 16, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 289, §1; Acts 2003, No. 297, §1; Acts 2017, No. 335, §1.