[§302A-620]  Classification/compensation
appeals board; adjustments to classification/compensation plan.  (a)  There
shall be established a classification/compensation appeals board within the
department for administrative purposes.  The appeals board shall be composed of
three members.  One member shall be appointed by the board of education and one
member appointed by the exclusive bargaining unit representing educational
officers.  The third member shall be appointed by the governor and shall serve
as chairperson.  No member shall be an employee of the department, a member of
the board of education, or an employee of the organization representing
educational officers.  The appeals board shall sit as an appellate body on
matters of classification/compensation.  All decisions of the appeals board
shall be by majority vote and be binding on both parties.



(b)  The appeals board shall meet biennially
every even-numbered year to receive pricing appeals from affected persons and
parties relating to the classification/compensation plan.  All petitions for
appeal shall be filed with the appeals board within twenty days from the date
set by the appeals board for receipt of these appeals.



The appeals board shall meet on a quarterly
basis as needed to receive classification appeals.  All petitions for
educational officer classification appeals shall be filed with the appeals
board within twenty working days from the date of receipt of notification of
the classification action or twenty working days from the date of receipt of
the superintendent's written decision on the employee's internal administrative
review appeal.



(c)  The appeals board shall function
independently of the board of education and the department, but may procure
office facilities and clerical assistance from them.  Neither the appeals board
nor any of its members or staff shall consult with any member of the board of
education or department except on notice and opportunity for the appealing
employee or the employee's representative to participate.



The appeals board shall adopt policies and
standards relative to classification/compensation.  The appeals board may adopt
rules pursuant to chapter 91 for the conduct of appeal hearings.



(d)  The appeals board shall make whatever
adjustments that are necessary to the affected classes where the appeals have
been filed in the classification/compensation plan.



The appeals board shall hear pricing appeals
and complete the final adjustment to the classification/compensation plan by
the first Wednesday of December of all even-numbered years.  Following the
final pricing adjustment to the classification/compensation plan, the
superintendent shall submit to the legislature, through the office of the
governor, a report setting forth the classification/compensation plan and the
cost thereof for its information and approval.  The approved
classification/compensation plan shall be effective as of July 1 of each
odd-numbered year.



The appeals board shall hear classification
appeals on a quarterly basis upon receipt of the appeals.  The effective date
of the appeals for twelve-month educational officers shall be the first pay
period immediately following the receipt of the current position description by
the classification/compensation section of the department.  The effective date
for ten-month officers shall be the beginning of the appropriate semester
(September or January).



(e)  Notwithstanding any other laws to the
contrary, each member of the appeals board shall receive $50 per day for each
day on which work is done by them in connection with authorized activities of
the appeals board.  The cost thereof shall be met by legislative appropriations
for the appeals board. [L 1996, c 89, pt of §2]