Colorado § 22-32-126 - Principals - employment and authority.

§ 22-32-126. Principals - employment and authority.

(1) The board of education may employ through written contract public school principals who shall hold valid principal licenses or authorizations and who shall supervise the operation and management of the school and such property as the board shall determine necessary.

(2) The principal shall assume the administrative responsibility and instructional leadership, under the supervision of the superintendent and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the board of education, for the planning, management, operation, and evaluation of the educational program of the schools to which he is assigned.

(3) The principal shall submit recommendations to the superintendent regarding the appointment, assignment, promotion, transfer, and dismissal of all personnel assigned to the school under his supervision.

(4) The principal shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent pursuant to the rules and regulations of the board of education.

(5) (a) The principal or the principal's designee shall communicate discipline information concerning any student enrolled in the school to any teacher who has direct contact with the student in the classroom and to any counselor who has direct contact with the student. Any teacher or counselor who receives information under this subsection (5) shall maintain the confidentiality of the information and does not have authority to communicate the information to any other person.

(b) Each school district shall include in its discipline code adopted in accordance with section 22-32-110 (2) procedures to inform the student and the student's parent or guardian when disciplinary information is communicated and to provide a copy of the disciplinary information to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The discipline code shall also establish procedures to allow the student and the student's parent or guardian to challenge the accuracy of the disciplinary information.

Source: L. 73: p. 1284, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 123-30-27. L. 96: (5) added, p. 431, § 2, effective April 22. L. 2004: (1) amended, p. 1286, § 20, effective May 28.

ANNOTATION

As letters of reprimand are authorized under this section and under plaintiff's contract, the issuance of letters and their permanent placement in plaintiff's personnel file did not implicate due process. Perez v. Denver Pub. Schs., 919 P.2d 960 (Colo. App. 1996).

Principal has the authority to adopt policies, rules, and regulations to implement school policy. DeKoevend v. Bd. of Educ., 653 P.2d 743 (Colo. App. 1982), rev'd on other grounds, 688 P.2d 219 (Colo. 1984).

The administrative responsibilities set forth in this section could not be carried out if the principal was unable to promulgate rules and enforce them. DeKoevend v. Bd. of Educ., 653 P.2d 743 (Colo. App. 1982), rev'd on other grounds, 688 P.2d 219 (Colo. 1984).

Principal has authority to supervise teachers. Taking the steps necessary to supervise and insure the effectiveness of teachers is within the authority delegated to the principal by the school board and thus constitutes a legitimate exercise of his power. Thompson v. Bd. of Educ., 668 P.2d 954 (Colo. App. 1983).