Sec. 14.20.177. - Reductions in force.
(a) A school district may implement a layoff plan under this section if it is necessary for the district to reduce the number of tenured teachers because
(1) school attendance in the district has decreased; or
(2) the basic need of the school district determined under AS 14.17.410(b)(1) decreases by three percent or more from the previous year.
(b) Before a school district lays off any tenured teacher, the school board shall adopt a layoff plan. The plan must identify academic and other programs that the district intends to maintain in implementing the layoff plan. The plan must also include procedures for layoff and recall of tenured teachers consistent with this section.
(c) Except as provided in this subsection, a school district may place a tenured teacher on layoff status only after the district has given notice of nonretention to all nontenured teachers. However, a school district may retain a nontenured teacher and place on layoff status a tenured teacher if there is no tenured teacher in the district who is qualified to replace the nontenured teacher. The school district shall comply with the notice requirements set out in AS 14.20.140 in placing a tenured or nontenured teacher on layoff status.
(d) For purposes of this section, a tenured teacher is considered qualified for a position if the position is in
(1) grades K - 8 and the teacher has an elementary endorsement;
(2) an established middle school and the teacher has
(A) an elementary endorsement;
(B) a middle school endorsement; or
(C) a secondary certificate with a subject area endorsement in the area of assignment in which the teacher filling the position will spend at least 40 percent of the teacher's time or the teacher has, within the five years immediately preceding the last date on which the teacher performed teaching services in the district before being laid off, received an evaluation stating that the teacher's performance in the subject or subjects meets the district performance standards; or
(3) grades 9 - 12 and the teacher has an endorsement for each subject area in which the teacher filling the position will spend at least 40 percent of the teacher's time or the teacher has, within the five years immediately preceding the last date on which the teacher performed teaching services in the district before being laid off, received an evaluation stating that the teacher's performance in the subject or subjects meets the district performance standards.
(e) For a period of three years after layoff, a teacher is on layoff status and is entitled to a hiring preference in the district where the teacher had been employed. The hiring preference applies only to vacant teaching positions for which the teacher is qualified. If a teacher is offered a teaching position under this subsection and the teacher declines the offer or fails to accept it within 30 days, the teacher is no longer considered to be on layoff status and is no longer entitled to a hiring preference under this section unless the teacher declines the offer because the teacher is contractually obligated to provide professional services to another private or public educational program.
(f) Notwithstanding any provision of AS 23.40, the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between a school district and a bargaining organization representing teachers on or after August 16, 1996, may not be in conflict with the provisions of this section.
(g) A teacher on layoff status is not entitled to be reemployed under AS 14.20.145 and does not accrue leave. However, layoff status does not constitute a break in service for retaining tenure rights and accrued sick leave.
(h) In this section, "school district" or "district" means a city or borough school district or a regional educational attendance area.