Sec. 30.024. EMPLOYEES OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

(a) In this section, "teacher" means a principal, supervisor, classroom teacher, counselor, or other full-time professional employee who is required to hold a certificate issued under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, except the term does not include a superintendent or any employee who does not provide direct and regular services to students at the school.

(b) The governing board of the school may enter into an employment contract with any employee who provides, or supervises any employee who provides, direct and regular educational services to students or who provides other professional educational services. An employee employed under this subsection is not subject to Section 2252.901, Government Code. Each teacher shall be employed under a term contract as provided by Subchapter E, Chapter 21, or under a probationary contract as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 21. An employee employed under a contract under this subsection:

(1) shall be paid in accordance with a salary structure adopted by the superintendent with the concurrence of the board that provides salaries, including assignment stipends, equal, on a daily-rate basis, to salaries, including assignment stipends, paid to employees employed in comparable positions by the Austin Independent School District;

(2) is not eligible for longevity pay under Subchapter D, Chapter 659, Government Code, and is not entitled to a paid day off from work on any national or state holiday;

(3) is eligible for sick leave accrual under the General Appropriations Act in each month in which at least one day of the month is included in the term of the employment contract and in any other month in which work is performed or paid leave is taken;

(4) may be permitted by the board to take paid time off from work during the term of the employment contract for personal reasons as designated by the board, but the paid time off may not exceed three days per contract term and may not be carried forward from one contract term to a subsequent contract term;

(5) may be permitted by the board to be paid the salary designated in the employment contract in 12 monthly installments; and

(6) shall work the hours established by the superintendent.

(c) In addition to any other federal and state statutes limiting the liability of employees at the school, Sections 22.0511, 22.0512, 22.052, and 22.053, respectively, apply to professional employees and volunteers of the school.

(d) The governing board may authorize the payment of a stipend to a school employee who is authorized by the superintendent to perform additional duties outside the employee's normal work schedule.

(e) The school's operating hours are as follows:

(1) on a day designated in the school's annual calendar as a day for instruction or teacher service, the school's office hours shall be the same as any other state agency; and

(2) on any other day, the school is not required to maintain office hours, except that the superintendent may require an employee to work as needed for the efficient operation of the school, and an employee who is not required to work must either use paid leave, or if paid leave is not available, may not be paid for that day.

(f) The school may hire an employee to be paid on an hourly basis to work as a substitute for a regular full-time or part-time employee who is unavailable to perform regular duties. An employee working as a substitute for another employee is not entitled to paid holidays or compensatory time off for holidays worked, vacation leave, sick leave, or any other leave provided to a state employee under the General Appropriations Act.

(g) The school may pay to a teacher or employee who provides services or supervises an employee who provides services as described by Subsection (b) and who is employed in a supplemental program under Section 30.021(c) a salary that, on a daily-rate basis, does not exceed the salary paid by the Austin Independent School District to an employee employed in a comparable position during the regular school year.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1341, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 204, Sec. 15.03, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1197, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 680 , Sec. 3, eff. June 17, 2005.