Parental Leave Information

Timeline

1. After you share your/your partner's pregnancy (or plan to adopt/foster/use a gestational carrier) and due date (if applicable) with your building principal, you need to submit a letter to the superintendent with your due date (if applicable) and plan for parental leave. If you’re adopting or fostering, let the superintendent know as soon as reasonably possible.

   • • • You'll also need to include a letter from your doctor that estimates the delivery date and evaluates your ability to continue to work (though HR will also send you a partially filled out FMLA form to have your doctor fill out as well at a later date). See the exact wording in article 9 of the CBA

       • There is a sample letter you can copy and edit for your own needs in our Parental Leave drive folder

       • HR will reach out to you with some forms for you (find blank copies of these in the Parental Leave drive folder)

2. Your leave request will be brought before the school board for approval at the next meeting (they will have a copy of your letter but won't likely read any details our to the board beyond the dates requested).

3. After this meeting, the Payroll Clerk should calculate your adjusted salary and insurance premiums, if applicable, and send you an email with the information. 

4. During your leave you can use accrued sick days to continue to get paid for up to 8 weeks (updated from 6 with new 2025 CBA) of disability for a vaginal delivery and 10 weeks for a C-section. Partners get standard leave time as outlined in CBA. 

   • • • If you are out longer than those weeks, it would be as unpaid, regardless of how much time you have to use. 

       • FMLA provides up to 60 work days of leave.  Any additional leave time must be requested and approved by the school board. (see the FMLA fact sheet above). 

         • • You can use up to 8 (or 6) weeks of sick days during this time. The rest of the 60 days weeks (should you choose to take it) must be taken unpaid. 

       •  You cannot access the sick bank for parental leave. 

       • If you deliver in the summer and your disability period falls during non-working days, you will not be paid during your time out. However, you get to keep your sick days to use as normal upon your return. This would be different if you’re a staff member that works over the summer.

       • If you deliver during the school year and part of your leave falls on a school vacation, those days will count towards your 8 (or 10 weeks) of allowable leave.

       • FMLA allows you to continue your health insurance coverage for 60 work days after your leave starts.

         • • ALL eligible staff (regardless of due date) are entitled to 60 work days of insurance coverage. As the FMLA says, “An employee on FMLA leave is also entitled to have health benefits maintained while on leave as if the employee had continued to work instead of taking the leave” (825.100 The Family and Medical Leave Act part B). 

       • If you plan to take more than 60 work days of leave, you will have the option to continue by paying COBRA (check with HR for the COBRA rates for that year) or you can switch to a partner's insurance. 

5. After the birth of your child, you need to contact HR with the birth date and type of birth (vaginal or cesarean) so they can process the use of your sick days for leave as applicable.

   • •  If you're using SSD insurance (health and dental), you will need to fill out a health insurance and dental update form to add your child to your plans.

6. At least 20 work days before you're due to return to work, you must notify the Superintendent of your intent to return to work. If you took the rest of the school year off, you must let the Superintendent know by the last day of school that year that you intend to return the following year. 

7. You can always check with Jackie Duane (our SEA parental leave expert), HR or a SEA rep. if you're unsure what you're entitled to or what is permitted in regard to your leave.