49-6-3006 - Attendance officers. - Tennessee Statutes

49-6-3006. Attendance officers.

(a)  The sole responsibility and authority for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance laws, compiled in this part, are placed in the local board of education and its designated employees and officers.

(b)  To facilitate the enforcement of this part, each local board of education or appointed director of schools, where appropriate, may employ at least one (1) qualified full-time attendance teacher, whose duty it shall be to assist the board, under the direction of the director of schools, to enforce the compulsory attendance laws of the state and to discharge such other duties as are usually performed by, or delegated to, attendance teachers.

(c)  Any local school system that, because of its size, the paucity of its school population or other good cause, does not need the services of a full-time attendance teacher, may, with the approval of the commissioner, employ either a part-time attendance teacher or join with a neighboring school system in the joint employment of an attendance teacher, as authorized by the commissioner of education; provided, that no such authorization shall be valid for a longer period than one (1) year, but it may be renewed as often as conditions justify.

(d)  (1)  Each local board of education shall fix the compensation of each attendance teacher employed, payable from the school funds of the school system, and shall prescribe the duties of the attendance teacher and make rules and regulations for the performance of the duties not inconsistent with law or the rules and regulations of the state board of education that will promote the purposes of this part.

     (2)  Two (2) or more school systems, served by one (1) attendance teacher, shall jointly fix the compensation of the attendance teacher, payable from the school funds of the school systems concerned. The local boards of education shall prescribe the duties of the attendance teacher, jointly employed, and make rules and regulations for the performance of the duties that are not in conflict with law or with the rules and regulations of the state board of education.

(e)  Training, certification and employment qualifications of attendance teachers shall be in compliance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner and approved by the state board.

(f)  Attendance teachers appointed under this part or other persons authorized to serve under this section shall have all the powers and duties now vested, or that hereafter may be vested, in attendance teachers by the compulsory attendance laws of this state.

(g)  In the discharge of the duties of their office, attendance teachers or other persons authorized to serve under this section shall work under the direction and supervision of the director of schools and shall comply with the rules and regulations of the local board of education and of the commissioner, as approved by the state board of education.

(h)  Attendance teachers employed under this part shall have the same status with respect to tenure and teacher retirement as other public school personnel under the laws of this state.

(i)  Local school systems participating in the state equalizing funds may, with the approval of the commissioner, include attendance teachers in the minimum program under the rules and regulations prescribed by the state board of education.

[Acts 1947, ch. 87, §§ 4-6, 9, 10; C. Supp. 1950, §§ 2442.4-2442.6, 2442.9, 2442.10; Acts 1959, ch. 289, § 1; 1974, ch. 654, §§ 91-93; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 49-1711 49-1715; Acts 1984 (1st E.S.), ch. 6, §§ 15, 16; 1992, ch. 535, § 52; 1992, ch. 657, § 6.]