Q Do the three years a principal must serve in an “A” or “B” school, in accordance with Section 37-9-13, have to be consecutive years, and if not, can the total of three years be served at different schools.

A Section 37-9-13 requires superintendents have classroom or administrative experience of not less than six years which shall include at least three years of administrative experience as a school building principal either in a school with an “A” or “B” accountability rating, a school that increased its accountability rating by a letter grade during the period in which the principal was employed or in a school with comparable accountability rating or improvement in another state. There is no explicit or implicit requirement that the rating be maintained over a period of consecutive years. Each of the years at an “A” or “B” rating can be achieved independently and should be considered as three, separate, one-year requirements. Thus a principal could gain the requisite experience in non-consecutive years. Further because the three years of experience at a school with an “A” or “B” rating do not build upon one another and can be achieved in non-consecutive years. The experience under Section 37-9-13 could be gained at different schools. (Attorney General’s Opinion to McDonald, February 23, 2018)