DEFINED
Support staff are staff who are not administrators or staff in positions which require an Iowa Board of Educational Examiners teaching license and who are employed to fulfill the duties listed on their job description on a monthly or hourly basis. Support staff shall include, but not be limited to, paraeducators, teacher and classroom aides, custodial and maintenance employees, clerical employees, food service employees, bus drivers, and temporary help for summer or other maintenance. The position may be full-time or part-time.
The Superintendent shall establish job specifications and job descriptions for support staff positions. The Board may approve job descriptions.
Support staff required to hold a license for their position must present evidence of their current license to the Board Secretary prior to payment of wages each year.
QUALIFICATIONS, RECRUITMENT, SELECTION
Persons interested in a support staff position will have an opportunity to apply and qualify for these positions in the District without regard to age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation gender identity, or disability. Job applicants for support staff positions will be considered on the basis of the following:
Training, experience, and skill;
Nature of the occupation;
Demonstrated competence; and
Possession of, or ability to obtain, state or other license or certificate, if required, for the position.
The position will be announced through means the Superintendent believes will inform potential applicants about the position. Applications for employment may be obtained from and completed applications will be returned to the Administration Building. Whenever possible, the preliminary screening of applicants will be conducted by the administrator who directly supervises and oversees the position.
The Superintendent has the authority to hire, without Board approval, bus drivers, custodians, paraeducators, maintenance staff, clerical personnel, food service workers, and coaches who are at-will employees. The Superintendent also has the authority to sign individual contracts, if applicable.
CONTRACTS
The Board may enter into written contracts with support staff employed on a regular basis. The contract will state the terms of employment and include a zero-day cancellation clause. Either the staff member or the Board must give notice of the intent to cancel the contract at the end of 90 days. This notice will not be required when the staff member is terminated during a probationary period or for cause.
Support staff will receive a job description stating the specific performance responsibilities of their position.
The Superintendent will draw up and process the support staff contracts and present them to the Board for approval. The contracts, after being signed by the Board President, are filed with the Board Secretary.
LICENSING/CERTIFICATION
Support staff members who require a special license or other certification shall keep them current at their own expense. Licensing requirements needed for a position will be considered met if the staff member meets the requirements established by law for the position.
ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER
The Superintendent will determine the assignment of each support staff member and is with the sole discretion of the Board. In making such assignments each year, the Superintendent shall consider the qualifications of each support staff member and District needs.
A transfer may be initiated by the staff member, the principal, or the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall transfer support staff members and report such transfers to the Board.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of support staff members on their skills, abilities, and competence shall be an ongoing process supervised by the Superintendent. The goal of the formal evaluation of support staff members shall be to maintain support staff members who meet or exceed the Board's standards of performance, to clarify each support staff member’s role, to ascertain the areas in need of improvement, to clarify the immediate priorities of the Board, and to develop a working relationship between the administrators and other staff.
The Superintendent will ensure support staff members are formally evaluated annually. New and probationary support staff members shall be formally evaluated at least twice a year.
Approved: March 2007
Reviewed: February 2022
Revised: February 2022