Attendance/AESOP

Attendance Procedures/Protocols

• NEW EMPLOYEES ONLY: 

  • When the account is set up in AESOP by Central Office, an invitation will go to your NBTSchools email with instructions how to set up your account: http://aesoponline.com/) 

• ALL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES: 

Please put days in AESOP (http://aesoponline.com/)as soon as you know you will be absent for any reason, or when you get approval from your administrator/supervisor for coverage purposes.

• All absences MUST be entered into the online AESOP attendance system by the employee. 

  1. If you will be absent, it is your responsibility to enter the absence into the system by 6:00am for NBTHS and NBTMS and 7:00 am for all other buildings. 

  2. Timely submission of absences allows the school/building to plan to cover your responsibilities.

  3. Please do NOT ask someone else to log in or update your absence.

  4. If you miss the cut-off time is AESOP as outlined in #1. above, please ensure your principal or main office is made aware and they can enter the absence in AESOP on your behalf.

Any updates to a staff member's AESOP entries MUST be approved by the staff member's principal or Central Office supervisor and then the administrator  MUST promptly communicate the change to Connie Saunders via email (csaunders@nbtschools.org).

• SICK DAYS: For sick days, the district reserves the right to request a medical note for any three consecutive sick days used, as per NJ state law (updated July 3, 2023). Sick leave now includes the following limited uses:

      #1-3 To recover from, or for the diagnoses or treatment of a health condition (mental or physical), or for preventative medical care

  or has been exposed to a contagious disease or is quarantined for the disease in the employee's immediate household [SELF].

          #4     To care for a family member who is sick, injured, needs diagnosis, treatment, or care of a condition (mental or physical) or needs 

 preventative medical care;

         #5 For bereavement of a family member - up to seven (7) days (this is in addition to the bereavement days outlined in the contract   

 (i.e. 5 = immediate family member)

        #6    To care for yourself or a family member who needs assistance due to being a victim of domestic or sexual violence, such as 

                        needing  medical attention, services, counseling, to relocate, or for legal services or proceedings;

         #7       To attend a child’s school-related conference, meeting, function or other event at the request of a school staff member or a 

                       meeting related to the child’s health condition or disability; and

           #8 The school or place of care of a child of the employee is closed by order of a public official due to an  epidemic or other public 

  health emergency, or because of a state of emergency declared by the Governor due to an  epidemic or other public health 

 emergency.

NOTIFICATION: If the need to use sick leave is foreseeable, at least seven (7) calendar days advance notice is required. If it’s not foreseeable, notice MUST be given as soon as practicable, and the employee shall make a reasonable effort to schedule the use of sick leave in a manner that does not unduly disrupt the operations of the district. 

Foreseeable notice is to be sent to the building principal and the Assistant Superintendent (for district employees, notice is to be sent to the direct supervisor and the Assistant Superintendent).

The employer (district) may restrict certain dates; NBTSchools district policy restricts sick leave the day before and after a holiday; reasonable documentation will be required if unforeseen sick leave occurs on those dates and a review of the situation will be conducted by the Assistant Superintendent.

DOCUMENTATION: If sick leave is used for three (3) or more consecutive days, district policy REQUIRES reasonable documentation to verify that the days are being used for a permissible purpose.

• For those taking care of a sick family member, signed documentation from the health care provider will meet this requirement. 

• For the closure of a child’s school or daycare, a copy of the order of the public official or health authority is sufficient documentation. 

• For victims of domestic or sexual violence, reasonable documentation will depend upon the reason for leave, but could be from the court, agency, social worker, law enforcement, counselor, attorney, or other professional who is assisting the individual.

• The district reserves the right to require documentation at any point, if there is a reasonable reason to believe that staff are using sick leave for reasons other than enumerated prior 

• Misuse of sick days may be subject to discipline as per NBTBOE Policy #1642.01

SICK DAY - OTHER IMPT INFORMATION:

• An employee who is absent for  more than 50%  percent of their work day shall be charged a full sick day if the employee’s reason for absence is covered by the updated law.

• An employee absent on sick leave on a day when the school is closed early for emergency reasons will be charged with a full sick leave day. 

• An employee scheduled for a sick leave absence on a day on which the schools do not open because of an emergency will not be charged with a sick leave day. 

• A sick leave day once commenced may be reinstated as a working day ONLY with the approval of the Superintendent or designee. 

• PERSONAL DAYS: Personal days MUST be requested electronically via AESOP.

  • Personal days are to  be requested at least two working days in advance.

  • Requests for personal leave shall be submitted at least two (2) full working days in advance of the date of personal leave. The Superintendent of Schools or their designee (e.g. building principal or district supervisor) will have the right to waive this time requirement in case of emergency.

If approved, the staff member must enter the personal day(s) in AESOP promptly.

• • Personal leave time cannot be taken the day before or after a school break; this REQUIRES a written request to the Superintendent of Schools (superintendent@nbtschools.org). 

If approved, the staff member must enter the personal day(s) in AESOP promptly.

• • Up two personal days in a row may be taken; a third personal day in a row REQUIRES a written request to the Superintendent of Schools (superintendent@nbtschools.org).

If approved, the staff member must enter the personal day(s) in AESOP promptly.

• VACATION DAYS: Vacation days are allotted for 12 month employees ONLY and may be taken with notice given to the employee’s direct supervisor; 10 months employees do not receive vacation days.

• EXTENDED or INTERMITTENT LEAVES OF ABSENCES: Extended or Intermittent Family Medical or Child Care Leaves of Absences (FMLA/CCLOA) MUST be requested in writing via email to Amy Kita, Assistant Superintendent of Schools (akita@nbtschools.org) and Denise Brigandi, Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent (dbrigandi@nbtschools.org).

1. Once reviewed and approved by Central Office, AESOP entry will be communicated to the employee.

2. Special requests for a leave of absence that is not related to medical circumstances or child bonding are to be submitted to superintendent@nbtschools.org  for review.

• AUTHORIZED SCHOOL BUSINESS DAYS (ASB):  ASB days are specifically used for approved IN-DISTRICT Professional Learning or Meetings and MUST include the reason in the notes section of the absence (i.e. I&RS Meetings). All other ASB days are only to be authorized and entered by the Superintendent and/or their designee.

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS (PD):Professional Development (PD) days are for approved OUT-OF-DISTRICT professional learning workshops/training (these are NOT ASB).

• BEREAVEMENT DAYS:  

  • Leave MUST commence on the first calendar day after the death, but upon notice to the Board superintendent@nbtschools.org, one day may be reserved for a memorial service or other obligations incident to the death. 

  • Any special bereavement requests REQUIRE a written request to the Superintendent of Schools (superintendent@nbtschools.org); if approved, the staff member must enter the day(s) in AESOP promptly.

*For bereavement of a family member - up to seven (7) calendar days may be taken as sick leave (this is in addition to the 

  bereavement days outlined in the contract  listed below) 

Death of Immediate Family: An allowance of up to five (5) consecutive working days or seven (7) consecutive calendar days,   whichever is less, shall be granted for death in the immediate family. 

• Immediate family shall include: Husband, wife, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, child, sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother, grandchild, stepmother or stepfather, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law or anyone making his or her home with the family or anyone whom actually stands in the position of a member of the immediate family to the employee. 

Death of  a sister- in-law, brother-in-law, niece, or nephew: An allowance of up  to three (3) days shall be granted.

Death of an aunt or uncle: An allowance of one (1) day shall be granted.

• JURY DUTY:  Jury duty absences are to be entered in AESOP by the employee and also require submission of a copy of the jury duty notice to Connie Saunders at BOE Offices or (csaunders@nbtschools.org). Any requests for a letter to the court from the superintendent REQUIRES a written request to the Superintendent of Schools (superintendent@nbtschools.org).

Related Board of Education Policies

3212 - ATTENDANCE: Teaching Staff Member

4212 - ATTENDANCE: Support Staff Member

1642.01 Sick Leave Law - Updated Policy

1642.01 Sick Leave Law - Updated Regulation