HB4933 Summary

• Principals must hold a valid administrative license issued under Article 21B (changed from "certificate" under Article 21) and meet clear, specific, explicit, and objective academic, educational, examination, and experience requirements established by the board.

• School boards must maintain a public database of all candidates eligible to be selected as principal if additional requirements exclude otherwise qualified and licensed candidates.

• The board must establish due process protections for principal candidates equal to those under Section 21B-75 or 21B-95, including detailed assessment of eligibility, targeted counseling for deficiencies, and protections against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or unrelated disabilities.

• If performance evaluations are used to determine a principal is ineligible to serve, the board must require 2 or more unsatisfactory ratings within a 7-year period; evaluation-based ineligibility cannot exceed 2 calendar years and cannot apply if the local school council's evaluation was satisfactory or higher in the same school term.

• Board must establish a grievance procedure for ineligible principal candidates, notify candidates within 10 days of ineligibility determination with specific reasons, and allow candidates to request board review within 30 days.