Professional Staff Long-Term Leaves and Absences

FILE: GCBDB

Critical

PROFESSIONAL STAFF LONG-TERM LEAVES AND ABSENCES

The Board of Education recognizes that the personal welfare and the professional growth of its employees may require occasional extended absences from duty. Therefore, the Board maygrant the following long-term leaves of absence under specified conditions.

Sabbatical Leaves of Absence

The Board of Education may grant sabbatical leaves of absence to certificated employees for further professional study at the graduate level under the following conditions:

1. The leave of absence shall be based upon an application by the employee and the recommendation of the superintendent and shall not be granted for a period longer than oneyear.

2. The applicant shall have been a certificated employee of the school district for not less than 6 consecutive years immediately preceding the application.

3. The teacher shall request the leave 90 calendar days prior to the end of the school year preceding the leave period.

4. The Board of Education will not grant a sabbatical leave of absence unless the district is able to find a satisfactory replacement for the teacher.

5. The number of leaves granted in any one year shall be left to the discretion of the Board of Education.

6. Upon the staff member's return to the school system, the employee shall be reinstated at the proper position on the salary schedule, losing only that time during which regularduties were not performed. The Board retains the right to reassign the teacher.

7. The leave of absence shall be without pay or benefits by the school district.

Military Leaves of Absence

The Board of Education will grant military leave as required by law and as described in Board policy.

1. Pursuant to federal law, employment and re-employment rights shall be maintained for periods of service up to five years or more as required by statute.

   1. Pursuant to state law, employees taking military leave are entitled to up to 120 hours of paid leave for military duty. Pay will only be available for hours of military leave that occurat a time when the employee would otherwise have been required to be at work.

2. Leaves for military service will not be counted as continuous full-time service when computing tenure but shall not impair tenure previously acquired nor affect any credit toward tenurepreviously earned.

• 1. After initial employment with the district, time spent on military leave shall be counted in determining placement on the salary schedule.

One-Year General Leaves of Absence

The Board of Education may grant a one-year general leave of absence for reasons other than the continuation of professional study -- for example, illness, child rearing, adoption or otherpersonal reasons. If applicable, the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) will be followed as required by law. General leaves are subject to the following conditions:

1. The leave of absence shall be based upon application by the teacher; it shall coincide with the school year and not be for a period of more than one year. Leaves will not be counted ascontinuous full-time service when computing tenure but shall not impair tenure previously acquired nor affect any credit toward tenure previously earned.

2. The applicant shall have been a certificated employee of the school district for not less than 6 consecutive years immediately preceding the application.

   1. The teacher shall request the leave 90 calendar days prior to the end of the school year preceding the leave period.

3. The Board of Education shall be able to make satisfactory arrangements for the performance of the ordinary duties of the applicant during the period for which the leave ofabsence is requested.

4. The number of leaves granted in any one year shall be left to the discretion of the Board of Education.

• 1. Upon the staff member's return to the school system, the employee shall be reinstated at the proper position on the salary schedule, losing only that time during which regularduties were not performed. The Board retains the right to reassign the teacher.

  2. The leave of absence shall be without pay or benefits by the school district.

Adopted: November 13, 2002

Revised: January 16, 2013

Cross Refs: GCBC, Professional Staff Fringe Benefits

GCBDA, Professional Staff Short-Term Leaves and Absences

Legal Refs: §§ 105.270 - .271, 168.122, l69.595, RSMo.

16 CSR 10-4.014

Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), 38 U.S.C. §§ 4301 - 4333

New Franklin R-1School District, New Franklin, Missouri