5000 – Staff Recruitment, Selection, and Assignment
Personnel Philosophy Statement
The NWESD 189 Board recognizes an effective and efficient staff is necessary to provide optimum service to its member districts. Each employee provides a vital and important contribution in helping the NWESD 189 fulfill its purpose, function, and mission. The successful performance of each employee determines the manner in which the entire NWESD 189 is viewed by our member districts.
To best provide services to its member districts and to the general public, NWESD 189 requires a variety of employment relationships. These policies have been developed to assist NWESD 189 employees in providing consistency in operation and delivery of services. Therefore, these policies, or appropriate sections of them, should be carefully reviewed by each employee of the NWESD 189 and used to guide the decisions and actions of the employee.
The Board has adopted these policies for the purpose of providing the framework within which the NWESD 189 administration shall employ, assign, evaluate, promote, compensate, establish conditions of employment for, and terminate employees in carrying out the mission of the NWESD 189. The Board reserves the right to modify or suspend any portion of these policies. The Superintendent is directed to develop procedures to assure for the recruitment, selection, and assignments of the best staff available.
These policies do not constitute a contract of employment and should not be interpreted as creating an employment contract or guarantee of continued employment.
These personnel policies are intended to cover all employees of the NWESD 189 in prescribed areas unless an individual written contract exists which would take precedence.
Recruitment
Employee recruitment shall be administered by the Superintendent, or designee. All matters pertaining to recruitment of all personnel shall be authorized by the Superintendent, or designee.
Employee Selection and Assignment
All matters pertaining to recruitment, selection, and assignment of personnel for all positions shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent will be responsible for approving the employment, assignment, transfer, and termination of all employees. The Board will confirm the hiring of all personnel.
The Superintendent’s designee and Director of Human Resources will assure that all persons employed meet the qualifications established for the position(s) and any applicable certification requirements. The person identified as the most qualified for the position and its challenges will be recommended for employment or re-assignment. If two or more applicants are determined to be equally qualified, consideration of underrepresented status may be used as a tie breaker.
The use of political, social, or other pressure by contact with Board members or other officials of the NWESD 189 may disqualify an applicant from consideration for any employment.
No employee will be placed in any position wherein direct administrative or supervisory authority is exercised by a close relative or by any other relative residing in the same household. A close relative is defined as father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, or father-in-law.
No relative of an employee shall be shown preference for employment in either a temporary or a permanent position.
All persons employed in positions which require certification, as determined by law, regulation, or NWESD 189 policy, shall be employed by written contract in conformity with the state law.
The Superintendent, or designee, shall promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity.
When openings occur in existing positions or when new positions are created, they may be filled by the transfer of current employees or by new employees, as determined by the Superintendent.
Assignment and Transfer
The NWESD 189 Superintendent will have freedom to organize, reorganize, and arrange the administrative, supervisory, field staff, and support staff, including business and instruction affairs, which in his/her judgement best serve the NWESD 189.
Assignment of NWESD 189 contracted certificated personnel will be the responsibility of the Superintendent or designee. All transfers will be considered in the best interest of the NWESD 189.
The transfer of a classified employee from a position in one classification to a position in another classification having a different pay schedule may be made by the NWESD 189 Superintendent, provided the employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the position.
Employee Categories
Certificated employees are those employed in a position that requires a Washington State teaching or ESA certificate and who are hired annually by means of a certificated employment contract that is approved and signed by the Superintendent following approval by the NWESD 189 Board.
Classified employees are those employed in positions which do not require Washington State teaching or ESA certification and are generally divided into three subcategories:
- professional technical (assigned to positions requiring the use of skills acquired through training beyond high school in a specialized field, or equivalent on-the-job experience);
- clinical staff (assigned to positions that require a license to practice such as substance abuse counselors, mental health professionals, etc.); and,
- support staff (assigned to positions other than those requiring certification or professional/technical skills).
Temporary employees are those employed for a specified duration not to exceed five (5) consecutive months. Temporary employees will be informed in their notice of appointment as to their temporary status and expected employment-ending date.
Substitute employees are those persons who provide services on an on-call basis to work in the place of employees on leave or to assist with atypical workloads.
Employee Status Within Categories
Full-time classified employees are those employees, regularly on the staff, who work not less than forty (40) hours per week (2080 hours annually).
Part-time/hourly employees are those employees, regularly on the staff, who work less than forty (40) hours per week, but work seventy (70) hours or more per month.
Temporary/hourly/substitute employees are those who work less than seventy (70) hours per month and/or those employees engaged for specific duties that are short-term in duration and generally related to peak work or special needs situations.
Initial classified trial status shall be provided for those employees who are new, promoted, or reclassified. A trial service period of six (6) months commencing from the date of official employment, promotion, or reclassification will allow the NWESD 189 to evaluate the employee’s performance. If the employee is promoted, reclassified, or transferred-between-classifications, an unsuccessful trial service will cause reversion of said employee back to the employee’s former position, if such position is still available. If the position is not still available, the Superintendent may terminate the employee. Written termination or reversion notice must be provided by the Superintendent at least five (5) work days in advance of the effective date of termination or reversion.
Employment of Minors
The following guidelines should be followed when recruiting, selecting, and/or assigning eligible minor employees (ages 16 to 18):
- All persons who have not yet reached the age of eighteen (18) are considered minors by the Department of Labor and Industries.
- As minors, special employment status and conditions rules and regulations apply.
- Minor employees must provide the NWESD 189 office a copy of the completed “Parent/School Authorization for Employment of a Minor” form and a copy of the minor’s birth certificate or other proof of age document.
- This documentation must be provided and processed through the Human Resources office prior to the minor beginning employment.
- These records must be available in the Human Resources office to stand Labor and Industries audit.
- These guidelines should also be followed for any work experience and/or PIC placements.
Cooperative–Funded Employees
Cooperative–funded employees shall be NWESD 189 employees and the same Board Policies, controls, and supervision as other NWESD 189 employees shall apply.
Funding commitments, whether through assertive or passive notification procedures from participating member districts, shall be received by NWESD 189 prior to renewing the employment of cooperative-funded positions.
All liabilities related to cooperative-funded employees and other employee considerations will be an obligation of, and funded solely by, member districts participating in the cooperative.
First Reading: 08/27/84 (as 4100, 4130, 4200, 4220, 4260, 4270, 4290)
Second Reading: 02/26/92 (as 4100, 4130, 4200, 4220, 4260, 4270, 4290)
Revised: 05/23/01 (recodified 5000)
Revised: 06/23/04
Revised: 08/22/12
Revised: 06/26/13
Reference:
RCW 28A.310.180
RCW 28A.310.200
RCW 28A.310.250
RCW 28A.310.260
RCW 43.43.830
RCW 43.43.832
RCE 29.60
AGO 62155.00
P.L. 99-603 (IRCA)
Title 8 USC, Ch. 12 § 1324a and § 1324b
Cross Reference:
Policies 5005, 5610
Date Revised: 10/27/2025