Nebraska Statutes 79-1239. Tenure; permanent certificated employee; amendment or termination of contract; grounds; procedures
(1) The board by a vote of the majority of its members may determine that a permanent certificated employee‘s contract shall be amended or terminated for any of the following reasons: (a) Just cause as defined in section 79-1234 ; (b) reduction in force as set forth in sections 79-846 to 79-849 ; (c) a change of leave-of-absence policy; (d) failure of the permanent certificated employee upon written request of the board or the administrators of the educational service unit to accept employment for the next school year within the time designated in the request, except that the permanent certificated employee shall not be required to signify such acceptance prior to March 15 of each year; or (e) revocation or suspension of the permanent certificated employee’s certificate by the State Board of Education.
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 79-1239
- Action: shall include any proceeding in any court of this state. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- Board: means the governing board of any educational service unit. See Nebraska Statutes 79-1234
- Certificated employee: means any teacher, nurse, or other person required to have a certificate from the State Department of Education who is employed by an educational service unit. See Nebraska Statutes 79-1234
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Just cause: means incompetency, neglect of duty, unprofessional conduct, insubordination, immorality, physical or mental incapacity, or other conduct which interferes substantially with the continued performance of duties or a change in circumstances such as financial exigency or a diminution of demand for services by the school districts served by the educational service unit necessitating a reduction in the number of teachers or nurses to be employed by the board. See Nebraska Statutes 79-1234
- Permanent certificated employee: means a certificated employee (a) who has served under a contract with the educational service unit for at least three successive years under any contract which was entered into to create initial employment on or after September 1, 1986, or (b) who was initially employed by the educational service unit prior to September 1, 1986. See Nebraska Statutes 79-1234
- Process: shall mean a summons, subpoena, or notice to appear issued out of a court in the course of judicial proceedings. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- School: means a school under the jurisdiction of a school board authorized by Nebraska Statutes 79-101
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Year: shall mean calendar year. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
(2) If a hearing is requested by the permanent certificated employee, the formal due process hearing for the purpose of this section means a hearing procedure adopted by the board which contains at least the following: (a) Notification to the permanent certificated employee in writing at least five days prior to the hearing of the grounds alleged for the termination or amendment of the permanent certificated employee’s contract; (b) upon request of the permanent certificated employee, a list of the names of any witnesses who will be called to testify against the certificated employee and an opportunity to examine any documents that will be presented at the hearing shall be provided at least five days prior to the hearing; (c) the right to be represented; and (d) an opportunity to cross-examine all witnesses, examine all documents, and present evidence material to the issues.
(3) Notice of the hearing shall be given in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. Upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the board’s members present and voting and upon specific request of the permanent certificated employee or the permanent certificated employee’s representative, the hearing shall be conducted in a closed session, but the formal action of the board shall be taken in open session.
(4) A majority of the members of the board shall render its decision to amend or terminate a permanent certificated employee’s contract based solely upon the evidence produced at the hearing, shall reduce its findings and determination to writing, and shall deliver a written copy of the findings and determination to the permanent certificated employee.