Amend the bill, as and if amended, Section 59-25-460, as contained in SECTION 3, by striking the section in its entirety and inserting:
/ No teacher shall be dismissed unless written notice specifying the cause of dismissal is first given the teacher by the District Board of Trustees and an opportunity for a hearing has been afforded the teacher. Such written notice shall include the fact that a hearing before the board is available to the teacher upon request provided, such request is made in writing within fifteen days as prescribed by Section 59-25-470. Any such hearing shall be public unless the teacher requests in writing that it be private. The District Board of Trustees may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses at any hearing and, at the request of the teacher against whom a charge is made, shall issue such subpoenas, but it may limit the number of witnesses to be subpoenaed in behalf of the teacher to not more than ten. All testimony at any hearing shall be taken under oath. Any member of the board may administer oaths to witnesses. The board shall cause a record of the proceedings to be kept and shall employ a competent reporter to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all of the testimony. If the board's decision is favorable to the teacher, the board shall pay the cost of the reporter's attendance and services at the hearing. If the decision is unfavorable to the teacher, one-half of the cost of the reporter's attendance and services shall be borne by the teacher. Either party desiring a transcript of the hearing shall pay for the costs thereof.
(A)(1) A teacher may not be dismissed unless written notice specifying the cause of dismissal first is given the teacher by the superintendent and the teacher is given an opportunity for a an evidentiary hearing which must be:
(a) before the board or a designee of the board; and
(b) public unless the teacher requests it writing that it be private.
(2) A teacher is entitled to elect whether he wants the evidentiary hearing held by the board or a designee of the board. If the teacher elects for the hearing to be held before a designee of the board, the designee must be a person mutually agreed upon by the board and the teacher.
(3) Written notice required in this subsection must state that the teacher is entitled to a hearing before the board or its designee upon request if made in writing within fifteen days as provided in Section 59-25-470.
(4) The superintendent or his designee may meet with the teacher before issuing a notice of dismissal to discuss alternative resolutions. The parties attending this meeting must have the option of having a representative present.
(B)(1) A designee of the board must be:
(a) an attorney licensed to practice law in this State;
(b) certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a mediator or arbitrator; and
(c) designated by the board to hear all evidentiary hearings in the district for the school year, except when:
(2) If the designee holds the evidentiary hearing, he shall issue a written report and recommendation containing findings of facts and conclusions of law to the board, superintendent, and teacher within fifteen days after the hearing concludes. The superintendent and the teacher may submit a written response to this report and recommendation to the board within ten days after the date on which the report and recommendation are issued, after which the board shall issue a decision affirming or withdrawing the notice of suspension or dismissal within thirty days. In the interim, the board may conduct a hearing on the order to consider any written responses from the superintendent and teacher, but this hearing may not operate to extend the thirty day limit in which the board shall issue its decision affirming or withdrawing the notice of suspension or dismissal. The board retains final decision-making authority regarding the teacher dismissal or suspension recommendation based on its consideration of the record, the report and recommendation, and any written submission of the superintendent and teacher.
(C) If the board holds the evidentiary hearing, the board shall issue its decision within the thirty days after the hearing. This decision must be in writing and must include findings of facts and conclusions of law.
(D) The board shall determine if the evidence shows good and just cause for the notice of suspension or dismissal, and accordingly shall render a decision to affirm or withdraw the notice of suspension or dismissal.
(E) The District Board of Trustees as provided in subsection (C), or its designee, as provided in subsection (B), may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses at any the hearing and, at the request of the teacher against whom a charge is made, shall issue such these subpoenas, but it may limit the number of these witnesses to be subpoenaed in behalf of the teacher to not more than ten. All Testimony at any a hearing shall must be taken under oath. Any A member of the board, or its designee, may administer oaths to witnesses. The board, or its designee, shall cause a record of the proceedings to be kept and shall employ a competent reporter to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all of the testimony.
(F) If the board's decision is favorable to the teacher, the board shall pay the cost of the reporter's attendance and services at the hearing. If the decision is unfavorable to the teacher, one-half of the cost of the reporter's attendance and services shall must be borne by the teacher. Either A party desiring a transcript of the hearing shall must pay for the costs thereof of obtaining the transcript." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.