Opinion ID: 467599
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: merits of the pendent claim.

Text: 14 Walker was a nonprobationary teacher in the Stuttgart School District. For the 1980-81 school year she was placed on probation and was notified that she had to improve in certain areas in order to be rehired for the following year. In March, 1981, after parents had expressed concern that Walker was not an effective teacher, she was reassigned to another school. 15 The Stuttgart School Board decided on April 14, 1981 that it would not renew Walker's contract and notified Walker of its decision by a letter which was dated April 15, 1981. At the time this decision was made Walker had not received any written notice from the superintendent that he was going to recommend that her contract not be renewed, nor had any hearing been held. On May 22, 1981 Walker received a statement of the grounds for the superintendent's recommendation of non-renewal, and on July 7, 1981 a hearing was held. The Board notified Walker by letter dated July 15, 1981 that it had voted unanimously to not renew your contract for the 1981/82 school year in accordance with the recommendation made by Mr. Ned Moseley, who was Superintendent of Schools during the 1980/81 contract year. Walker challenges the validity of the July decision. 4 16 Walker argues that the School District did not substantially comply with the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act because the School Board made a decision before she was given proper notice and a hearing. Section 80-1264.3 provides that every teacher's contract will be renewed unless the teacher is notified by the school superintendent that the superintendent is recommending that the teacher's contract not be renewed, and the notice of recommended nonrenewal is to include a statement of the reasons for nonrenewal. Under Sec. 80-1264.8 a teacher who has received this notice can request a hearing before the school board, and under Sec. 80-1264.9(a) at the conclusion of the hearing the school board is to take action on the superintendent's recommendation. 17 Defendants argue that the decision by the School Board on April 14 was only a tentative decision. They admit the statute was not technically complied with, but argue that the School Board was in substantial compliance with the statute because Walker was later given the required notice and a hearing, after which it reaffirmed its earlier decision. 18 Since the district court did not reach the merits of the pendent claim, we decline to decide it on the merits, but we make some observations. After the district court's decision, and after briefs were filed in this court, the Arkansas Supreme Court decided the case of Green Forest Public Schools v. Herrington, 287 Ark. 43, 696 S.W.2d 714 (1985). The district court will undoubtedly find Herrington helpful in resolving some of the pendent claims. Interestingly, Herrington did not overrule Lee v. Big Flat Public Schools, 280 Ark. 377, 658 S.W.2d 389 (1983), and other earlier school cases. 19 If the district court should find a violation occurred, it should then determine the appropriate relief. It was suggested by Walker's attorney during the oral argument that if the court finds that the statute was violated, then Walker should be entitled to reinstatement. Although we do not now decide this issue, we are inclined to believe Walker's argument is not free from doubt. The Arkansas courts have looked beyond the procedural violations to determine whether a teacher should be reinstated. If the dismissal was based on legitimate grounds, then reinstatement may not necessarily be ordered. Compare Herrington, 287 Ark. at 48, 696 S.W.2d at 717 (dismissal was arbitrary; reinstatement was ordered), with Maxwell v. Southside School District, 273 Ark. 89, 93, 618 S.W.2d 148, 150 (1981) (backpay was granted since hearing was not fair, but issue of reinstatement was remanded). 20 The district court has already found, and it cannot be disputed, that the Stuttgart School Board had a legitimate reason for not renewing Walker's contract; her ability and effectiveness as a teacher had deteriorated. Walker may be entitled to other relief, but the School Board may not necessarily be required to reinstate a teacher whom it has legitimately found was not competent for the job. Furthermore, the School Board appears to have done its best to rectify its mistake. We believe that if the district court finds that the second decision, made in July, was made de novo and in good faith, and was not merely a pro forma reaffirmance of the earlier decision, and that the hearing was fair, then it is possible that under state law the non-renewal can be upheld and Walker would not be entitled to backpay beyond the July decision. 21 Again, these remarks are only suggestions concerning some of the possible remedies available to Walker if the district court should find that proper notice was not given. 22 As indicated, the judgment is reversed and the case is remanded to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.