(a) There shall be in the Department of Education an arbitration panel of not less than twenty-four or more than twenty-nine persons to serve as provided in subsection (c) of this section. The Governor shall appoint the members of such panel, with the advice and consent of the General Assembly, as follows: (1) Seven members who are representative of the interests of local and regional boards of education and selected from lists of names submitted by such boards; (2) seven members who are representative of the interests of exclusive bargaining representatives of certified employees and selected from lists of names submitted by such bargaining representatives; and (3) not less than ten or more than fifteen members who are impartial representatives of the interests of the public in general, residents of the state of Connecticut, experienced in public sector collective bargaining interest impasse resolution and selected from lists of names submitted by the State Board of Education. The lists of names submitted to the Governor pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection shall, in addition to complying with the provisions of section 4-9b, include a report from the State Board of Education certifying that the process conducted for soliciting applicants made adequate outreach to minority communities and documenting that the number and make-up of minority applicants considered reflect the state's racial and ethnic diversity. Each member of the panel serving on or appointed after January 1, 2016, shall serve a term of four years, except that each arbitrator shall hold office until a successor is appointed and any arbitrator not reappointed shall finish to conclusion any arbitration for which such arbitrator has been selected or appointed. Arbitrators may be removed for good cause. If any vacancy occurs in such panel, the Governor shall act within forty days to fill such vacancy in the manner provided in section 4-19. Persons appointed to the arbitration panel shall serve without compensation but each shall receive a per diem fee for any day during which such person is engaged in the arbitration of a dispute pursuant to this section. The parties to the dispute so arbitrated shall pay the fee in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. (b) If any local or regional board of education cannot agree with the exclusive representatives of a teachers' or administrators' unit after negotiation concerning the terms and conditions of employment applicable to the employees in such unit, either party may submit the issues to the commissioner for mediation. On the one hundred sixtieth day prior to the budget submission date, the commissioner shall order the parties to report their settlement. If, on such one hundred sixtieth day, the parties have not reached agreement and have failed to initiate mediation, the commissioner shall order the parties to notify the commissioner of the name of a mutually selected mediator and to commence mediation. The commissioner may order the parties to appear before said commissioner during the mediation period. In either case, the parties shall meet with a mediator mutually selected by them, provided such parties shall inform the commissioner of the name of such mediator, or with the commissioner or the commissioner's agents or a mediator designated by said commissioner. Mediators shall be chosen from a panel of mediators selected by the State Board of Education or from outside such panel if mutually agreed by the parties. Such mediators shall receive a per diem fee determined on the basis of the prevailing rate for such services, and the parties shall share equally in the cost of such mediation. In any civil or criminal case, any proceeding preliminary thereto, or in any legislative or administrative proceeding, a mediator shall not disclose any confidential communication made to such mediator in the course of mediation unless the party making such communication waives such privilege. The parties shall provide such information as the commissioner may require. The commissioner may recommend a basis for settlement but such recommendations shall not be binding upon the parties. Such recommendation shall be made within twenty-five days after the day on which mediation begins. (c) (1) On the fourth day next following the end of the mediation session or on the one hundred thirty-fifth day prior to the budget submission date, whichever is sooner, the commissioner shall order the parties to report their settlement of the dispute or, if there is no settlement, to notify the commissioner of either their agreement to submit their dispute to a single arbitrator or the name of the arbitrator selected by each of them. Within five days of providing such notice, the parties shall notify the commissioner of the name of the arbitrator if there is an agreement on a single arbitrator appointed to the panel pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section or agreement on the third arbitrator appointed to the panel pursuant to said subdivision. The commissioner may order the parties to appear before said commissioner during the arbitration period. If the parties have notified the commissioner of their agreement to submit their dispute to a single arbitrator and they have not agreed on such arbitrator, within five days after such notification, the commissioner shall select such single arbitrator who shall be an impartial representative of the interests of the public in general. If each party has notified the commissioner of the name of the arbitrator it has selected and the parties have not agreed on the third arbitrator, within five days after such notification, the commissioner shall select a third arbitrator, who shall be an impartial representative of the interests of the public in general. If either party fails to notify the commissioner of the name of an arbitrator, the commissioner shall select an arbitrator to serve and the commissioner shall also select a third arbitrator who shall be an impartial representative of the interests of the public in general. Any selection pursuant to this section by the commissioner of an impartial arbitrator shall be made at random from among the members appointed under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section. Arbitrators shall be selected from the panel appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and shall receive a per diem fee determined on the basis of the prevailing rate for such services. Whenever a panel of three arbitrators is selected, the chairperson of such panel shall be the impartial representative of the interests of the public in general. (2) The chairperson of the arbitration panel or the single arbitrator shall set the date, time and place for a hearing to be held in the school district between the fifth and twelfth day, inclusive, after such chairperson or such single arbitrator is selected. At least five days prior to such hearing, a written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing shall be sent to the board of education and the representative organization which are parties to the dispute, and, if a three-member arbitration panel is selected or designated, to the other members of such panel. Such written notice shall also be sent, by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the fiscal authority having budgetary responsibility or charged with making appropriations for the school district, and a representative designated by such body may be heard at the hearing as part of the presentation and participation of the board of education. At the hearing each party shall have full opportunity to submit all relevant evidence, to introduce relevant documents and written material and to argue on behalf of its positions. At the hearing a representative of the fiscal authority having budgetary responsibility or charged with making appropriations for the school district shall be heard regarding the financial capability of the school district, unless such opportunity to be heard is waived by the fiscal authority. The nonappearance of the representative shall constitute a waiver of the opportunity to be heard unless there is a showing that proper notice was not given to the fiscal authority. The chairperson of the arbitration panel or the single arbitrator shall preside over such hearing. (3) The hearing may, at the discretion of the arbitration panel or the single arbitrator, be continued but in any event shall be concluded within twenty-five days after its commencement. (4) After hearing all the issues, the arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall, within twenty days, render a decision in writing, signed by a majority of the arbitrators or the single arbitrator, which states in detail the nature of the decision and the disposition of the issues by the arbitrators or the single arbitrator. The written decision shall include a narrative explaining the evaluation by the arbitrators or the single arbitrator of the evidence presented for each item upon which a decision was rendered by the arbitrators or the single arbitrator and shall state with particularity the basis for the decision as to each disputed issue and the manner in which the factors enumerated in this subdivision were considered in arriving at such decision, including, where applicable, the specific similar groups and conditions of employment presented for comparison and accepted by the arbitrators or the single arbitrator and the reason for such acceptance. The arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall file one copy of the decision with the commissioner, each town clerk in the school district involved, the legislative body or bodies of the town or towns for the school district involved, or, in the case of a town for which the legislative body of the town is a town meeting or representative town meeting, to the board of selectmen, and the board of education and organization which are parties to the dispute. The decision of the arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the parties to the dispute unless a rejection is filed in accordance with subdivision (7) of this subsection. The decision of the arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall incorporate those items of agreement the parties have reached prior to its issuance. At any time prior to the issuance of a decision by the arbitrators or the single arbitrator, the parties may jointly file with the arbitrators or the single arbitrator, any stipulations setting forth contract provisions which both parties agree to accept. In arriving at a decision, the arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall give priority to the public interest and the financial capability of the town or towns in the school district, including consideration of other demands on the financial capability of the town or towns in the school district. In assessing the financial capability of the town or towns, there shall be an irrebuttable presumption that a budget reserve of five per cent or less is not available for payment of the cost of any item subject to arbitration under this chapter. The arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall further consider, in light of such financial capability, the following factors: (A) The negotiations between the parties prior to arbitration, including the offers and the range of discussion of the issues; (B) the interests and welfare of the employee group; (C) changes in the cost of living averaged over the preceding three years; (D) the existing conditions of employment of the employee group and those of similar groups; and (E) the salaries, fringe benefits, and other conditions of employment prevailing in the state labor market, including the terms of recent contract settlements or awards in collective bargaining for other municipal employee organizations and developments in private sector wages and benefits. The parties shall submit to the arbitrators or the single arbitrator their respective positions on each individual issue in dispute between them in the form of a last best offer. The arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall resolve separately each individual disputed issue by accepting the last best offer thereon of either of the parties, and shall incorporate in a decision each such accepted individual last best offer and an explanation of how the total cost of all offers accepted was considered. The award of the arbitrators or the single arbitrator shall not be subject to rejection by referendum. The parties shall each pay the fee of the arbitrator selected by or for them and share equally the fee of the third arbitrator or the single arbitrator and all other costs incidental to the arbitration. (5) The commissioner shall assist the arbitration panel or the single arbitrator as may be required in the course of arbitration pursuant to this section. (6) If the day for filing any document required pursuant to this section falls on Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, the time for such filing shall be extended to the next business day thereafter. (7) The award of the arbitrators or single arbitrator may be rejected by the legislative body of the local school district or, in the case of a regional school district, by the legislative bodies of the participating towns. Such rejection shall be by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of such legislative body or, in the case of a regional school district, the legislative body of each participating town, present at a regular or special meeting called and convened for such purpose within twenty-five days of the receipt of the award. If the legislative body or legislative bodies, as appropriate, reject any such award, they shall notify, within ten days after the vote to reject, the commissioner and the exclusive representative for the teachers' or administrators' unit of such vote and submit to them a written explanation of the reasons for the vote. Within ten days after receipt of such notice, the exclusive representative of the teachers' or administrators' unit shall prepare, and the board of education may prepare, a written response to such rejection and shall submit it to such legislative body or legislative bodies, as appropriate, and the commissioner. Within ten days after the commissioner has been notified of the vote to reject, (A) the commissioner shall select a review panel of three arbitrators or, if the parties agree, a single arbitrator, who are residents of Connecticut and labor relations arbitrators approved by the American Arbitration Association and not members of the panel who issued the rejected award, and (B) such arbitrators or single arbitrator shall review the decision on each rejected issue. The review conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall be limited to the record and briefs of the hearing pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the written explanation of the reasons for the vote and a written response by either party. In conducting such review, the arbitrators or single arbitrator shall be limited to consideration of the criteria set forth in subdivision (4) of this subsection. Such review shall be completed within twenty days of the appointment of the arbitrators or single arbitrator. The arbitrators or single arbitrator shall accept the last best offer of either of the parties. Within five days after the completion of such review, the arbitrators or single arbitrator shall render a final and binding award with respect to each rejected issue. The decision of the arbitrators or single arbitrator shall be in writing and shall include the specific reasons and standards used by each arbitrator in making his decision on each issue. The decision shall be filed with the parties. The reasonable costs of the arbitrators or single arbitrator and the cost of the transcript shall be paid by the legislative body or legislative bodies, as appropriate. Where the legislative body of the school district is the town meeting, the board of selectmen shall have all of the authority and responsibilities required of and granted to the legislative body under this subdivision. (8) The decision of the arbitrators or a single arbitrator shall be subject to judicial review upon the filing by a party to the arbitration, within thirty days following receipt of a final decision pursuant to subdivision (4) or (7), as appropriate, of a motion to vacate or modify such decision in the superior court for the judicial district wherein the school district involved is located. The superior court, after hearing, may vacate or modify the decision if substantial rights of a party have been prejudiced because such decision is: (A) In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions; (B) in excess of the statutory authority of the panel; (C) made upon unlawful procedure; (D) affected by other error of law; (E) clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative and substantial evidence on the whole record; or (F) arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion. In any action brought pursuant to this subdivision to vacate or modify the decision of the arbitrators or single arbitrator, reasonable attorney's fees, costs and legal interest on salary withheld as the result of an appeal of said decision may be awarded in accordance with the following: Where the board of education moves to vacate or modify the decision and the decision is not vacated or modified, the court may award to the organization which is the exclusive representative reasonable attorney's fees, costs and legal interest on salary withheld as the result of an appeal; or, where the organization which is the exclusive representative moves to vacate or modify the decision and the decision is not vacated or modified, the court may award to the board of education reasonable attorney's fees, costs and legal interest on salary withheld as the result of an appeal. (d) The commissioner and the arbitrators or single arbitrator shall have the same powers and duties as the board under section 31-108 for the purposes of mediation or arbitration pursuant to this section, and subsection (c) of section 10-153d , and all provisions in section 31-108 with respect to procedure, jurisdiction of the Superior Court, witnesses and penalties shall apply. (e) The local or regional board of education and the organization designated or elected as the exclusive representative for the appropriate unit, through designated officials or their representatives, which are parties to a collective bargaining agreement, and which, for the purpose of negotiating with respect to salaries, hours and other conditions of employment, mutually agree to negotiate during the term of the agreement or are ordered to negotiate said agreement by a body of competent jurisdiction, shall notify the commissioner of the date upon which negotiations commenced within five days after said commencement. If the parties are unable to reach settlement twenty-five days after the date of the commencement of negotiations, the parties shall notify the commissioner of the name of a mutually selected mediator and shall conduct mediation pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, notwithstanding the mediation time schedule of subsection (b) of this section. On the fourth day next following the end of the mediation session or on the fiftieth day following the date of the commencement of negotiations, whichever is sooner, if no settlement is reached the parties shall commence arbitration pursuant to the provisions of subsections (a), (c) and (d) of this section, notwithstanding the reference to the budget submission date. (f) The State Board of Education shall adopt regulations pursuant to chapter 54 concerning the method by which names of persons who are impartial representatives of the interests of the public in general are placed on lists submitted by the State Board of Education to the Governor for appointment to the arbitration panel established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to (1) a description of the composition of the group which screens persons applying to be such impartial representatives, which group shall include representatives of local legislative and fiscal authorities and local and regional boards of education and exclusive bargaining representatives of certified employees, (2) application requirements and procedures and (3) the selection criteria and process, including an evaluation of an applicant's experience in arbitration. Such regulations shall provide for a training program for applicants who lack experience in arbitration but who are otherwise qualified and shall describe the criteria for participation in the training program. See Sec. 10-153k re applicability of this section to incorporated or endowed high schools or academies.
(February, 1965, P.A. 298, S. 5; 1969, P.A. 811, S. 5; P.A. 76-403, S. 6, 11; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 304, 587, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 87–91, 212; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-405, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-483, S. 40, 186; P.A. 83-72, S. 5, 9; 83-342, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-459, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-343, S. 3–5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1, S. 26, 27, 58; P.A. 87-1, S. 4, 7; 87-206, S. 1–3; 87-250, S. 9, 11; P.A. 90-325, S. 22, 23, 32; P.A. 91-352; P.A. 92-84, S. 2, 3, 5–7; 92-170, S. 22, 23, 26; P.A. 97-177, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-252, S. 11, 80; P.A. 00-204, S. 9, 13; 00-220, S. 9, 43; P.A. 01-173, S. 17, 18, 67; P.A. 11-125, S. 1; P.A. 16-185, S. 5.) History: 1969 act inserted new Subsec. (a) re appointment of arbitration panel, made former Subsec. (a) new Subsec. (b) and clarified secretary of state board's role in mediation procedure, deleted former Subsec. (b) except for provision that arbitrators' decision is advisory and not binding which was incorporated into otherwise new provisions of Subsec. (c) re selection of arbitrators, hearings, decision and payment of arbitrators' fees and added Subsec. (d) re general powers and duties of secretary and arbitrators; P.A. 76-403 deleted provisions in Subsec. (a) which had given only temporary existence to arbitration panel, amended Subsec. (b) to require mediation if agreement not reached within 120 days of budget submission date, to allow parties to select mediator themselves, to provide per diem payment, to require confidentiality of communications and to require that secretary's recommendation be made within 30 days of beginning of mediation, amended Subsec. (c) to include specific timetable for actions, inserted new Subsecs. (d) and (e) concerning recommencement of negotiations upon failure of arbitration or rejection of contract and secretary's power to meet with group involved and designated former Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (f); P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education and specified that arbitration panel is within department of education under Subsec. (a), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 substituted “local” for “town” boards of education and “chairperson” for “chairman” and made other technical changes; P.A. 79-405 amended Subsec. (a) to change number of panel members from 25 to 15 and specified that 5 each shall represent boards of education, bargaining representatives and the general public, amended Subsec. (c)(1) to require that third member of three-member panel represent interests of general public, amended Subsec. (c)(4) to make decisions final and binding rather than advisory and to include provisions concerning points of agreement and last best offer, added Subsec. (c)(7) re judicial review, deleted former Subsecs. (d) and (e) and designated Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (d); P.A. 80-483 gave subparagraphs in Subdivs. (4) and (7) of Subsec. (c) alphabetic rather than numeric designators; P.A. 83-72 amended Subsec. (a) to increase size of arbitration panel from fifteen to twenty-one by increasing each group of representatives from five to seven, to add provisions re arbitrator remaining in office until successor is appointed and requiring arbitrator not reappointed to complete any matter for which he was selected or appointed and to authorize governor to fill vacancies in manner provided in Sec. 4-19, amended Subsec. (b) to decrease from 120 to 110 days the length of time parties have to reach settlement prior to initiating mediation, to allow parties to select mediator from outside panel and to decrease from 30 to 25 the number of days commissioner may recommend a settlement to parties and amended Subsec. (c) to require that report made to commissioner on settlement or lack of settlement be made in 85 days rather than 90 days, to specify that chairperson of arbitration panel has between seventh and fifteenth day after designation to set date, time and place for hearing to be held, rather than on tenth day, to increase hearing duration from 20 to 25 days, and to specify that panel has 20 rather than 15 days to render a decision in writing; P.A. 83-342 amended Subsec. (c)(7) to provide for awarding of reasonable attorney's fees, costs and legal interest on money withheld as the result of an appeal of the decision of the arbitrators or single arbitrator; P.A. 84-459 amended Subsec. (c)(4) to require that the written decision of the arbitrators contain a narrative explaining the evaluation by the arbitrators of the evidence presented for each item upon which a decision was rendered; P.A. 85-343 increased number of panel members from 21 to 23, adding 2 additional public members and added provision in Subsec. (c) re random designation of arbitrator by commissioner; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 86-1 in Subsec. (a) increased the number of impartial representatives on the arbitration panel from 9 to 15, required that such representatives be state residents and have certain experience and substituted a panel of labor arbitrators submitted by the American Arbitration Association for a list submitted by the state board of education in Subsec. (c)(1) provided that the commissioner designate rather than the arbitrators select a third arbitrator and made technical changes in Subsec. (c)(4); P.A. 87-1 made technical corrections; P.A. 87-206 amended Subsec. (a) to change the number of impartial representatives on the panel from 15 to “not less than ten nor more than fifteen” and to substitute lists of names submitted by the state board of education for a panel of labor arbitrators submitted by the American Arbitration Association and in Subsec. (c)(1) provided that the arbitrators select rather than the commissioner designate a third arbitrator, unless the arbitrators fail to agree on the selection of a third within 5 days, that the parties notify the commissioner of the name of the third arbitrator and that any recommendation or selection by the commissioner of an impartial arbitrator be made at random, deleted provision that each party may refuse to accept one designated member and made a technical change; P.A. 87-250 added Subsec. (e) re negotiations during the term of an agreement; P.A. 90-325 in Subsec. (c)(1) provided that if the parties agree to submit their dispute to a single arbitrator the commissioner of education, rather than the parties, shall select the arbitrator and if the parties agree to submit the dispute to three arbitrators the commissioner, rather than the arbitrators shall select the third arbitrator and made technical changes, in Subsec. (c)(2) provided that the chairperson or single arbitrator be selected rather than designated and required that at the hearing a representative of the fiscal authority be heard, unless such opportunity is waived, in Subsec. (c)(4) added that the decision state certain matters with particularity and that it incorporate an explanation of how the total costs of all offers accepted was considered and added new Subsec. (f) re the adoption of regulations concerning the method by which names of persons who are impartial representatives of the interests of the public in general are placed on lists for appointment to the arbitration panel; P.A. 91-352 in Subsec. (c)(4) expanded the factors to be considered by arbitrators to include offers and range of discussion prior to arbitration and financial capability of town or towns in school district and to specify that changes in cost of living be averaged over preceding three years; P.A. 92-84 amended Subsec. (a) to require a term of two years for each member of the panel, replacing terms concurrent with that of governor, amended Subsec. (b) to require the commissioner to order the parties to report settlement or commence mediation on the one hundred seventieth day, rather than one hundred tenth day, prior to the budget submission date, and amended Subsec. (c) to change the date by which the commissioner shall order the parties to report settlement or submit their dispute to arbitration from the eighty-fifth to the one hundred forty-fifth day prior to the budget submission date in Subdiv. (1), to move provision requiring the arbitrators or the single arbitrator to give priority to the public interest and the financial capability of the town or towns in the school district in arriving at a decision and to require consideration of developments in private sector wages and benefits, to delete provisions that the arbitration decision shall not be subject to rejection by the legislative body or by referendum from Subdiv. (4), and to add Subdiv. (7) providing for rejection of any issue in the decision of the arbitrators or single arbitrator by the legislative body of the local or regional school district; P.A. 92-170 amended Subsec. (b) to change one hundred seventieth to one hundred sixtieth day, and amended Subsec. (c) (1) to change forty-fifth to thirty-fifth day, Subsec. (c)(2) to change seventh and fifteenth to fifth and twelfth, Subsec. (c)(4) to remove language prohibiting rejection by the legislative body of the school district and make technical changes, and Subsec. (c)(7) to add language concerning rejection in cases of regional school districts, to change 30 to 25 days, to require the employee unit to prepare and submit a written response, to change the requirement that the arbitrators be members of the American Arbitration Association to labor relations arbitrators approved by the association and residents of Connecticut, to limit the review to the criteria set forth in Subdiv. (4), to remove language allowing the arbitrators to render an award somewhere in between the last best offers, to require the decision to be in writing, to include specific reasons and standards used, and to be filed with the parties, and to add language concerning the town meeting, effective May 26, 1992, and applicable to arbitration proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 97-177 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to add requirement for notification to the commissioner to include the name of the arbitrator if there is agreement on a single arbitrator or agreement on the third arbitrator and provisions re lack of agreement on the arbitrator, and amended Subsec. (c)(4) to add provision re an irrebuttable presumption that a budget reserve of 5% or less is not available for payment of the cost of any item subject to arbitration under this chapter; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to give the parties 5 days to notify the commissioner of the name of the single arbitrator in cases in which there is no settlement and the parties have agreed to submit their dispute to a single arbitrator, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-204 amended Subsec. (a) to add the provisions relating to minorities and the lists of names submitted to the Governor, effective June 1, 2000; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to require the notice to the fiscal authority to be sent by registered mail, return receipt requested, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c)(2) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 11-125 amended Subsec. (c)(4) by adding provision re arbitrator to file copy of decision with legislative body or board of selectmen of the town or towns for the school district, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 16-185 amended Subsec. (a) to extend the term of any member serving on or appointed after January 1, 2016, from 2 years to 4 years and to make technical changes, effective June 7, 2016. Cited. 162 C. 393. Secs. 10-153a–10-153j include coverage of teachers employed in summer school programs. 177 C. 68. Since plaintiff was not a proper “party to the arbitration”, he lacked standing to seek judicial review of the arbitration award. 184 C. 116. Cited. 190 C. 235; 197 C. 554; 200 C. 376; 201 C. 685. Arbitration procedure prescribed is limited to negotiations of contracts. 202 C. 492. Cited. 205 C. 116; 206 C. 113; 216 C. 253; 217 C. 110; 234 C. 704; 239 C. 32. Arbitration panel established under section is not required to disclose information re arbitration negotiations because the panel is not a public agency for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act. 314 C. 802. Cited. 5 CA 253; 23 CA 727; 35 CA 111. Cited. 27 CS 298. Arbitrators selected under statute are all to be impartial; former school board chairman and personal friend of superintendent of schools cannot serve as impartial member of board. Id., 421. Cited. 30 CS 63; 38 CS 80. Subsec. (c): Cited. 238 C. 183. Subdiv. (7) required arbitration review panel to take second look at the evidence in light of the same statutory criteria that arbitration panel or single arbitrator is required to consider which is the essence of a de novo standard of review and the legislative history of statute supports conclusion that review panel properly conducted a de novo review of arbitration panel's award. 259 C. 5. Arbitration award was final, even though it had not been presented to Waterbury board of alderman for review and possible rejection and award was sufficiently specific to satisfy section's finality requirement; judicial review of arbitrators' decision under Teacher Act must be by motion to modify or vacate, filed in Superior Court within 30 days following receipt of final decision; provisions of Teacher Act remain unaffected except to the extent they conflict with S.A. 01-1, which prevails over Teacher Act; S.A. 01-1 reduced 30-day time limit for filing motion to vacate to 15 days; plaintiff was required to file a motion to vacate in order to challenge award. 276 C. 355.