In order to provide Statewide awards and recognition of the excellence of current members of the teaching profession, each school district may annually establish a teacher recognition selection panel composed of members of the teaching staff, administrative staff, parents and other citizens for the purpose of selecting recipients for the Governor’s Annual Award for Outstanding Teaching.

This panel shall be composed of up to nine members as follows:

a. three members to be selected by the local board of education;

b. three members to be selected by the local bargaining unit which represents the classroom teachers of the district. Should that bargaining unit choose not to appoint members to the panel, then the board of education shall appoint up to three additional members;

c. three additional members selected jointly by the members selected under subsections a. and b. of this section.

Should the members selected pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section fail to agree on the selection of the three additional members, then the additional members shall be selected by the local mayor from among the district’s parent organization.

L. 1985, c. 322, s. 3.