HB2610

THE CONTEXT: The State Board of Education (SBE) has jurisdiction over all petitions requesting that a school district be placed in receivership or that a fiscal crisis team be appointed due to the school district's alleged insolvency or gross mismanagement. If, after a public meeting in which the school district has the opportunity to respond to the allegations, SBE finds that the school district is insolvent or has engaged in gross mismanagement, SBE may place the school district in receivership and appoint a receiver.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would mandate the financial improvement plan for a school district placed in receivership to require the receiver to terminate for cause the school district superintendent, prohibits, if SBE places a school district in receivership, the receiver from providing a severance or buyout package to the school district superintendent, and allow a school district superintendent to appeal their termination to SBE within 30 days after receiving notice of the termination.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for school districts into an enforceable rule. It would mandate the financial improvement plan for a school district placed in receivership to require the receiver to terminate for cause the school district superintendent, and would also prohibits, if SBE places a school district in receivership, the receiver from providing a severance or buyout package to the school district superintendent, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.