386.595 - Employment status; applicability of collective bargaining agreement; reassignment upon revocation of charter or cessation of operation; leave of absence to accept employment with charter sch
386.595 Employment status; applicability of collective bargaining agreement; reassignment upon revocation of charter or cessation of operation; leave of absence to accept employment with charter school; reinstatement; eligibility for benefits.
1. All employees of a charter school shall be deemed public employees.
2. The governing body of a charter school may make all decisions concerning the terms and conditions of employment with the charter school and any other matter relating to employment with the charter school. In addition, the governing body may make all employment decisions with regard to its employees pursuant to NRS 391.311 to 391.3197, inclusive, unless a collective bargaining agreement entered into by the governing body pursuant to chapter 288 of NRS contains separate provisions relating to the discipline of licensed employees of a school.
3. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if the written charter of a charter school is revoked or if a charter school ceases to operate as a charter school, the employees of the charter school must be reassigned to employment within the school district in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. A school district is not required to reassign an employee of a charter school pursuant to this subsection if the employee:
(a) Was not granted a leave of absence by the school district to teach at the charter school pursuant to subsection 4; or
(b) Was granted a leave of absence by the school district and did not submit a written request to return to employment with the school district in accordance with subsection 4.
4. The board of trustees of a school district that is a sponsor of a charter school shall grant a leave of absence, not to exceed 3 years, to any employee who is employed by the board of trustees who requests such a leave of absence to accept employment with the charter school. After the first school year in which an employee is on a leave of absence, the employee may return to his or her former teaching position with the board of trustees. After the third school year, an employee shall either submit a written request to return to a comparable teaching position or resign from the position for which the employee’s leave was granted. The board of trustees shall grant a written request to return to a comparable position pursuant to this subsection even if the return of the employee requires the board of trustees to reduce the existing workforce of the school district. The board of trustees may require that a request to return to a teaching position submitted pursuant to this subsection be submitted at least 90 days before the employee would otherwise be required to report to duty.
5. An employee who is on a leave of absence from a school district pursuant to this section:
(a) Shall contribute to and be eligible for all benefits for which the employee would otherwise be entitled, including, without limitation, participation in the Public Employees’ Retirement System and accrual of time for the purposes of leave and retirement.
(b) Continues, while the employee is on leave, to be covered by the collective bargaining agreement of the school district only with respect to any matter relating to his or her status or employment with the district.
Ê The time during which such an employee is on a leave of absence and employed in a charter school does not count toward the acquisition of permanent status with the school district.
6. Upon the return of a teacher to employment in the school district, the teacher is entitled to the same level of retirement, salary and any other benefits to which the teacher would otherwise be entitled if the teacher had not taken a leave of absence to teach in a charter school.
7. An employee of a charter school who is not on a leave of absence from a school district is eligible for all benefits for which the employee would be eligible for employment in a public school, including, without limitation, participation in the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
8. For all employees of a charter school:
(a) The compensation that a teacher or other school employee would have received if he or she were employed by the school district must be used to determine the appropriate levels of contribution required of the employee and employer for purposes of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
(b) The compensation that is paid to a teacher or other school employee that exceeds the compensation that the employee would have received if he or she were employed by the school district must not be included for the purposes of calculating future retirement benefits of the employee.
9. If the board of trustees of a school district in which a charter school is located manages a plan of group insurance for its employees, the governing body of the charter school may negotiate with the board of trustees to participate in the same plan of group insurance that the board of trustees offers to its employees. If the employees of the charter school participate in the plan of group insurance managed by the board of trustees, the governing body of the charter school shall:
(a) Ensure that the premiums for that insurance are paid to the board of trustees; and
(b) Provide, upon the request of the board of trustees, all information that is necessary for the board of trustees to provide the group insurance to the employees of the charter school.
(Added to NRS by 1997, 1853; A 1999, 3303; 2001, 1497, 3138, 3165; 2003, 223; 2005, 1665, 2408, 2543)