§ 10-157 — Superintendents: Relationship to local or regional board of education; verification of certification status; waiver of certification; written contract of employment; evaluation of superintendent by board of education.

Connecticut § 10-157

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 10: Education and Culture
• Ch. 166: Teachers and Superintendents

Text

(a) Each local board of education for a municipality with (1) a population of ten thousand or more, (2) three or more public schools located in the municipality, and (3) two thousand or more resident students, as defined in section 10-262f, shall provide for the supervision of the schools under its control by a superintendent who shall serve as the chief executive officer of the board. A local board of education for any other municipality may (A) provide for the supervision of the schools under its control by a superintendent who shall serve as the chief executive officer of the board, or (B) receive direction concerning the supervision of the schools under its control by a superintendent employed by another local board of education, provided the legislative body of such other municipality authorizes the use of such superintendent. Each regional board of education shall provide for the supervision of the schools under its control by a superintendent who shall serve as the chief executive officer of the board. The superintendent shall have executive authority over the school system and the responsibility for its supervision. Employment of a superintendent shall be by election of the board of education. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the superintendent until the board receives written confirmation from the Commissioner of Education that the person to be employed is properly certified or has had such certification waived by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The commissioner shall inform any such board, in writing, of the proper certification, waiver of certification or lack of certification or waiver of any such person not later than fourteen days after the name of such person is submitted to the commissioner pursuant to section 10-226. A majority vote of all members of the board shall be necessary to an election, and the board shall fix the salary of the superintendent and the term of office, which shall not exceed three years. Upon election and notification of employment or reemployment, the superintendent may request and the board shall provide a written contract of employment which includes, but is not limited to, the salary, employment benefits and term of office of such superintendent. Such superintendent shall, at least three weeks before the annual town or regional school district meeting, submit to the board a full written report of the proceedings of such board and of the condition of the several schools during the school year preceding, with plans and suggestions for their improvement. The board of education shall evaluate the performance of the superintendent annually in accordance with guidelines and criteria mutually determined and agreed to by such board and such superintendent. (b) A local or regional board of education may appoint as acting superintendent a person who is or is not properly certified for a probationary period, not to exceed one school year, with the approval of the Commissioner of Education. During such probationary period such acting superintendent shall assume all duties of the superintendent for the time specified and shall successfully complete a school leadership program, approved by the State Board of Education, offered at a public or private institution of higher education in the state. At the conclusion of such probationary period, such appointing local or regional board of education may request the commissioner to grant (1) a waiver of certification for such acting superintendent pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or (2) a one-time extension of such probationary period, not to exceed one additional school year, if the commissioner determines that such board of education has demonstrated a significant need or hardship for such extension. (c) The commissioner may, upon request of an employing local or regional board of education, grant a waiver of certification to a person (1) who has successfully completed at least three years of experience as a certified administrator with a superintendent certificate issued by another state in a public school in another state during the ten-year period prior to the date of application, or (2) who has successfully completed a probationary period as an acting superintendent pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, and who the commissioner deems to be exceptionally qualified for the position of superintendent.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1442; P.A. 78-218, S. 112; P.A. 81-196; P.A. 85-54, S. 1, 3; P.A. 07-241, S. 4; P.A. 10-111, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 59; P.A. 11-28, S. 13; P.A. 12-116, S. 58; P.A. 17-173, S. 12; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 152.) History: P.A. 78-218 specified applicability to local and regional boards of education rather than town boards and deleted references to supervising agents; P.A. 81-196 clarified the rights and responsibilities of superintendents of schools and the employing board of education by specifying that superintendent is the chief executive officer of the board and has executive authority over the school system, that board must provide the superintendent with a written contract of employment or reemployment if the superintendent so requests and that board shall evaluate the superintendent annually in accordance with guidelines mutually agreed to by the board and the superintendent; P.A. 85-54 added requirement that no person assume duties and responsibilities of superintendent until hiring board receives confirmation from commissioner that person is properly certified, and added provision allowing certified or uncertified person as acting superintendent with commissioner's approval as Subsec. (b); P.A. 07-241 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and add references to waiver of certification and added Subsec. (c) re waiver of certification, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “upon request of an employing local or regional board of education” and provision re waiver of certification requirements for out-of-state superintendent experience, effective July 1, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-28 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 3, 2011; P.A. 12-116 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “specified period of time” with “probationary period”, replacing “ninety days” with “one school year”, adding provision requiring completion of a school leadership program during probationary period, and replacing provision re extension of time with provision re waiver of certification, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re successful completion of probationary period as new Subdiv. (2) and deleting former Subparas. (A) to (C) re findings for person exceptionally qualified, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 17-173 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provision re waiver of certification for acting superintendent as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re one-time extension of probationary period, effective July 6, 2017; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdivs. (1) to (3) re describing certain local boards of education for which superintendent requirement applies, adding Subparas. (A) and (B) re options for superintendent administration for other local boards of education, and adding provision re regional board of education superintendent to serve as chief executive officer, effective October 31, 2017. Superintendent appointed for fixed term does not hold over de jure. 127 C. 426. Cited. 129 C. 191; 152 C. 568; 228 C. 640. Cited. 30 CA 594. Superintendent of schools is not an employee to be hired by contract but a public officer to be elected. 10 CS 404.