KRS 161.141: Participation in retirement systems -- State-sponsored insurance program -

- Appropriations for retirement and insurance -- Sick leave credit --

Requirements and prohibitions concerning public charter school employees

and local school boards -- Employees of education service provider.

(1) As used in this section, "education service provider," "public charter school," "local

school board," and "local school district" have the same meanings as in KRS

160.1590.

(2) (a) Public charter school employ ees shall participate in the Teachers' Retirement

System or the County Employees Retirement System, as determined by their

eligibility for participation in the appropriate system and provided the public

charter school satisfies the criteria set by the Inte rnal Revenue Service to

participate in a governmental retirement plan.

(b) Teachers and other certified personnel shall make any required employee

contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System under KRS 161.220 to

161.716.

(c) Classified employees shall make any required employee contributions to the

County Employees Retirement System under KRS 78.510 to 78.852.

(d) A public charter school shall participate in the state -sponsored health

insurance program on the same basis as a local school district pursu ant to

KRS 18A.225.

(e) Any state appropriation for retirement, health, or life insurance benefits made

on behalf of a local public employee or a school district employee shall also

be made on behalf of a public charter school employee.

(f) A public charter school shall make any required employer contributions to the

Teachers' Retirement System under KRS 161.220 to 161.716 and the County

Employees Retirement System under KRS 78.510 to 78.852 in the same

manner as local school districts.

(g) For the purposes of calculating sick leave credit under KRS 161.220 to

161.716, teachers and other certified personnel of a public charter school shall

not accumulate more days of sick leave during their employment with the

public charter school than they would have other wise accumulated as a

certified employee of the school district of location.

(3) (a) A public charter school employee shall not be required to be a member of any

collective bargaining agreement.

(b) A public charter school employee who enters into any coll ective bargaining

unit must do so as a separate unit from the local school district.

(4) A local school board shall not require any employee of the local school district to be

employed in a public charter school or any student enrolled in the school distri ct to

attend a public charter school.

(5) A local school board shall not harass, threaten, discipline, discharge, retaliate, or in

any manner discriminate against any district employee involved directly or

indirectly with an application to establish a public charter school.

(6) An employee of an education service provider shall not be considered a public

charter school employee, but shall meet the same certification and background

check requirements otherwise required of a public charter school employee.