New York Laws
Part 1 - General Provisions
2102-A - Required Training for School District Officers.

§ 2102-a. Required training for school district officers. 1. a. Every
trustee or voting member of a board of education of a school district or
a board of cooperative educational services, elected or appointed for a
term beginning on or after July first, two thousand five, shall, within
the first year of his or her term, complete a minimum of six hours of
training on the financial oversight, accountability and fiduciary
responsibilities of a school board member.

b. In addition to the training required by paragraph a of this
subdivision, every trustee or voting member of a board of education of a
school district or a board of cooperative educational services, elected
or appointed for a first term beginning on or after the first of July
next succeeding the effective date of this paragraph, shall, within the
first year of his or her term, complete a training course to acquaint
him or her with the powers, functions and duties of boards of education,
as well as the powers and duties of other governing and administrative
authorities affecting public education.

c. Upon demonstration of compliance, no trustee or member of a board
of education or a board of cooperative educational services shall be
required to repeat the training requirements provided for in paragraphs
a and b of this subdivision. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to
require a member of a central high school district board or a member of
a board of cooperative educational services to complete such
requirements if such member has already completed such requirements as a
member of a board of a component school district. Nothing in this
section shall be deemed to require trustees or voting members of a board
of education of a school district or a board of cooperative educational
services to complete the requirements of paragraph b of this subdivision
if such trustee or member is seated or appointed on or before the
effective date of the chapter of the laws of two thousand ten that
amended this subdivision.

2. The curriculum used for training on financial oversight,
accountability and fiduciary responsibilities shall be approved by the
commissioner in consultation with the comptroller and the curriculum
used for the general training shall be approved by the commissioner.
These curricula may be offered together as a single course or
separately. The training required by this section may be offered by
providers approved by the commissioner. In approving other providers for
these trainings, the commissioner shall consider the potential
provider's understanding of the educational environment, the roles of
trustees and boards of education and boards of cooperative educational
services, and the experience of the provider in delivering such
training.

3. Each trustee or member shall demonstrate compliance with these
requirements by filing with the district clerk a certificate of
completion of such course or courses issued by the provider. Actual and
necessary expenses incurred by a trustee or member in complying with the
foregoing requirements shall be a charge against the school district.

4. As long as the chancellor of a school district in a city having a
population of one million or more inhabitants shall annually certify to
the commissioner that such district has a training program that meets or
exceeds the requirements of this section, the provisions of this section
shall not apply to such school district.