(a) (1) It is the public policy of the State of Arkansas that:

(A) Each school district shall have a written grievance procedure that provides for an orderly method of resolving concerns raised by an employee at the lowest possible administrative level and in a clear and timely manner for both parties; and

(B)

(i) All school employees shall have the right to file grievances and have those grievances heard.

(ii) A group of employees who have the same grievance may file a group grievance.

(2)

(A) "Grievance" means any concern related to personnel policy, salary, federal or state laws and regulations, or terms or conditions of employment raised by an employee.

(B) "Employee" means a person employed by a school district under a written contract.

(b) (1) The grievance policy shall include at least the following provisions:

(A) A procedure for resolving the matter informally with the employee's immediate supervisor;

(B) A procedure to appeal in writing an unsatisfactorily resolved grievance from the immediate supervisor to the superintendent of schools or his or her designee;

(C)

(i) A procedure to appeal in writing an unsatisfactorily resolved grievance from the superintendent or his or her designee to the school district board of directors at the next regularly scheduled school district board of directors meeting unless both parties have agreed to a different date.

(ii) The hearing shall be open or closed at the discretion of the employee.

(iii) If the hearing is open, the parent or guardian of any student under the age of eighteen (18) who gives testimony may elect to have the student's testimony given in a closed session; and

(D) The right of a party to be represented by a person of his or her own choosing, but not by a member of a party's immediate family at any level of the procedure.

(2)

(A) The determination by the principal, superintendent, or their designees that the concern expressed by the employee is not a grievance may be appealed to the school district board of directors for a final decision.

(B) At the hearing:

(i)

(a) The employee shall have an adequate opportunity to present the grievance.

(b) The employee shall be provided no less than ninety (90) minutes to present the grievance, unless a shorter period is agreed to by the employee; and

(ii) Both parties shall have the opportunity to present and question witnesses.

(c) The grievance policy shall be adopted in accordance with this subchapter and other applicable policies of the school district.

(d) There shall be no reprisals of any kind against any individual who exercises his or her rights under this section.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a school district to enter into an agreement recognizing an organization for the purpose of negotiating personnel policies, salaries, and educational matters of mutual concern.