Code: GCC-1
LEAVES AND ABSENCES – CERTIFIED STAFF
As a part of the fringe benefit package, the Board of Trustees offers benefit-eligible
professional staff of the District various types of leaves for illness, personal purposes,
legal and civic obligations, and professional improvement. All anticipated or planned
leaves of absence must be requested and approved in advance of being taken. All leaves
granted will be in units of half days or full days, with the exception of administrators
working a twelve month contract their leaves will be granted in units of quarter days, half
days, or full days.
The Superintendent shall administer the granting of all leaves of absence and shall have
the authority to approve leaves of absence in accordance with established Administrative
Regulations/Operating Procedures. The employee may appeal such decisions to the
Board. All long-term (extended) leaves of absence shall require prior Board approval.
All leaves of absence from work, except unexpected sick leave, must be approved by the
building principal or District coordinator and Superintendent prior to the occurrence of
the absence except in verified cases of emergencies. Unexcused absences or "leave
without pay" for any certified employee will result in a reduction of a day's pay from
his/her salary for each day missed. A day's pay will be calculated by dividing the
employee's total contract amount by the total number of contract days.
SICK LEAVE
All benefit-eligible professional staff employees of the District shall accrue sick leave
based upon their length of contract and the hours scheduled for service. Sick leave for
teachers and certified instructional support employees will be accumulated at the rate of
one day per month [maximum ten (10) days per year]. All thirty-eight (38) week
employees are granted at least ten (10) days leave per year. Building-level administrators
on a two-hundred-five to two-hundred-twenty (205-220) day contract are granted eleven
(11) days of sick leave per year. Twelve-month administrators are granted twelve (12)
days of sick leave per year. The maximum accumulation of sick leave is one-hundredeighty-five (185) days.
Flexible Time for Doctor/Dentist Appointments
Whenever possible, staff members are encouraged to make local doctor and dentist
appointments outside of the regular contract day. However, when appointments cannot
be made outside of the regular contract day, the administration will try, within reason, to
release staff members for in-town doctor/dentist appointments that will require only
minimal release time, i.e., release as soon as students are gone, release for up to a
maximum of a period provided that any required class coverage can, on a voluntary basis,
be provided by other faculty and staff within the building.
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming
The use of this provision for flexible time for local doctor/dentist appointments should
only be requested on a periodic basis, and it is to be noted that the District will not hire
a substitute in order to provide this non-deduct release time for staff.
Family and Medical Leave
Pursuant to the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (P.L. 103-3), Park County
School District #1 provides family and medical leave to benefit-eligible employees.
Bereavement
Benefit-eligible employees will be allowed up to two (2) days with pay for the purpose of
attending funerals.
This allowance may be extended at the discretion of the
Superintendent to cover unusual circumstances and to meet individual needs. Each
request for bereavement leave must first be submitted to the employee’s immediate
supervisor.
Illness—Leave Other than Employee
Leaves of absence for leave other than an employee illness may be granted to benefiteligible professional staff employees. Professional staff employees may use sick leave to
be absent from work a maximum of five (5) days with full pay. This allowance may be
extended at the discretion of the Superintendent to cover unusual circumstances and to
meet individual needs. Each request for leave other than an employee illness leave must
first be submitted to the employee’s immediate supervisor.
A medical certificate from a practicing physician may be required attesting to the
seriousness of the illness. Days used for leave other than an employee illness shall be
deducted from the employee’s accumulated sick leave.
Maternity Leave
Maternity leave shall be considered as any other type of illness that falls under Sick
Leave/Family and Medical Leave Act.
The professional staff employee shall notify the Superintendent, in writing, of her
pregnancy and of the expected due date along with expected date maternity leave is to
begin. The professional staff employee must provide the Superintendent with notification
of any changes in these dates.
SICK LEAVE BANK
Benefit-eligible professional staff employees may choose to voluntarily participate in the
Sick Leave Bank for certified employees. Only employees choosing to participate in the
Sick Leave Bank program will be eligible to draw days from the Bank.
Eligibility to draw sick leave days from the Bank will be based on the following stipulations:
-- By October 1 or within sixty (60) days following employment, the employee
must contribute the equivalent of two (2) employee days into the Sick Leave
Bank to be drawn on by the employee experiencing a catastrophic illness of a
personal nature or of a member of the immediate family.
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming
-- Bank days may not be drawn until the employee has utilized all days available
to the employee, i.e., sick leave, personal leave, annual leave, sub-dock days,
etc.
-- Bank days are available for sickness in the immediate family.
-- Bank days may not be used for maternity purposes unless the absence is due
to necessary medical treatment for complications of the mother or child.
-- Employees participating in the Sick Leave Bank program may be eligible to
draw up to a maximum of thirty (30) sick days from the Bank based upon the
severity of need and available days in the Sick Leave Bank.
At the end of each school year, unused days in the Sick Leave Bank will be credited back
to donating participants on a pro-rated basis.
Application for Sick Leave Bank Days and Appeals
An employee who has exhausted all days available in his/her personal account and
desiring to draw on the Sick Leave Bank days must do so in person* and in writing to the
Superintendent. The application must state the reason(s) for the request, the nature of
the illness or injury necessitating the request, and the number of days requested from the
Bank.
The Superintendent shall review the nature of the request and rule on the request. The
Superintendent's options shall be to approve the request, reject the request, or refer the
request to the Appeals Board. Pending review of the request, the employee shall submit
a leave request for the desired days and, based upon approval of the request by the
building administrator, proceed to take the days. Pending the appeal, these requested
days shall be taken as unpaid leave.
An Appeals Board, comprised of a representative, holding membership in the Sick Leave
Bank, from each of the in-town schools and the Superintendent, shall review the appeal
within ten (10) working days of receipt of the appeal. The appeal shall be presented in
person* and in writing to the Appeals Board. The right to appeal the Superintendent's
ruling shall be extended to the employee requesting days from the Sick Leave Bank or to
the Appeals Board.
The representative from the "home" school of the employee shall serve as a resource
person to the employee and the Appeals Board but shall not vote on the appeal.
In reviewing the appeal, the Appeals Board shall consider the nature and severity of need
of the employee, other options of relief available to the employee, and the history and
nature of use for prior leave days taken by the employee.
Upon deliberation of the appeal, the Appeals Board shall render a written response to the
appeal stating the decision of the Appeals Board and the reasons for the decision.
The decision of the Appeals Board shall be final.
If, upon review of the appeal by the Appeals Board, the employee is granted days from
the Sick Leave Bank, the employee shall be granted pay retroactively for the unpaid leave
taken in accordance with the number of days approved from the Sick Leave Bank.
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming
*NOTE: If the nature of the illness or injury prevents the employee from appearing
personally before the Superintendent and/or the Appeals Board, this provision may be
waived.
PERSONAL LEAVE
Each benefit-eligible professional staff employee may be granted two (2) days [based on
the number of hours per work day of the individual’s contract] of paid personal leave per
each contract year. Staff may accumulate up to five (5) days of personal leave, which
shall include the present year's allocation.
At the close of each fiscal year, the District will reimburse professional staff employees at
the current rate for substitutes for two (2) days unused personal leave if they are at the
maximum accumulation of five (5) days.
All benefit-eligible professional staff employees may be allowed two (2) days of personal
leave with substitute-dock during each academic year. Such leave may be granted
following the use of the employee's available personal leave and upon approval of the
supervisor. Substitute-dock days are non-accumulative.
All personal leave will be granted in units of full or half days. All applications for leave
should be submitted as far in advance as possible to the building principal.
All personal leave must have prior approval of the employees’ building principal or district
coordinator.
FLEX TIME
For individuals employed by the District for three years (upon completion of the
employee’s 3rd year):
- -Upon exhaustion of all personal leave in the employee’s leave balance, the employee
will be authorized two (2) additional, non-accruable personal leave “flex” days, with these
“flex” days to be subtracted from the employee’s accrued sick leave balance.
For individuals employed by the District for six years (upon completion of the employee’s
6th year):
- -Upon exhaustion of all personal leave in the employee’s leave balance, the employee
will be authorized three (3) additional, non-accruable personal leave “flex” days, with these
“flex” days to be subtracted from the employee’s accrued sick leave balance.
For individuals employed by the District for nine years (upon completion of the employee’s
9th year):
- -Upon exhaustion of all personal leave in the employee’s leave balance, the employee
will be authorized four (4) additional, non-accruable personal leave “flex” days, with these
“flex” days to be subtracted from the employee’s accrued sick leave balance.
For individuals employed by the District for twelve years (upon completion of the
employee’s 12th year):
- -Upon exhaustion of all personal leave in the employee’s leave balance, the employee
will be authorized five (5) additional, non-accruable personal leave “flex” days, with these
“flex” days to be subtracted from the employee’s accrued sick leave balance.
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming
For individuals employed by the District for fifteen or more years (upon completion of the
employee’s 15th year):
- -Upon exhaustion of all personal leave in the employee’s leave balance, the employee
will be authorized six (6) additional, non-accruable personal leave “flex” days, with these
“flex” days to be subtracted from the employee’s accrued sick leave balance.
No more than five (5) days, a combination of which may be comprised of personal leave,
sub-dock leave, and “flex” days, may be taken in succession.
This policy is effective July 1, 2013.
ASSOCIATION LEAVE
The Board of Trustees of Park County School District #1 may allow teachers and other
certified employees to attend certain P.E.A. approved professional meetings during the
school year without dock or loss of pay. This approval shall apply to meetings of the
Wyoming Education Association Board of Directors, the Wyoming Education Association
Delegate Assembly, and professional negotiations meetings or workshops. The P.E.A.
must reimburse the District for such costs of substitute teachers as may be incurred by
the teachers or other certified employees on leave to attend the meetings. Up to a
maximum of ten (10) days of leave per person involved may be allowed. P.E.A. members
serving in a leadership role may attend committee and/or commission meetings of the
National Education Association in excess of ten (10) days upon approval of the
Superintendent.
JURY DUTY/SUBPOENA LEAVE
Jury Duty -- Leaves of absence, with full pay, are allowed for jury duty. District employees
may not receive compensation from the District and for jury duty at the same time.
Should an employee wish to accept District pay while serving on jury duty, compensation
received by the employee for jury duty performed on contract days must be endorsed
and signed over to the District through the Business Office. An employee who is
dismissed from jury duty prior to 12:00 noon must report back to his/her assignment.
The Superintendent may request that an employee be excused from jury service or that
the service be delayed if the special nature of the employee's qualifications or assignment
would make it difficult to secure an adequate substitute or if the timing of the proposed
jury service seriously disrupts the educational program of the District.
Subpoena -- Leaves of absence, with pay, shall be granted for an employee who is
subpoenaed to testify in an official proceeding except as provided below:
If the proceeding involves the employee as a person being grieved against
or being the griever for a non-District issue, leave shall be considered as
being either personal leave or leave without pay (divorce, criminal, IRS, etc.)
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming
Any compensation received by the employee for subpoena purposes will be
endorsed and signed over to the District through the Business Office.
LEAVE FOR STUDY AND EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
After five (5) years of successful teaching or other professional assignment in the District,
a professional staff employee may be granted up to one (1) full year’s leave of absence
without pay. This approved leave of absence will be granted for study and educational
travel and must be mutually beneficial to the employee, the students, and the District.
Application for the leave must be submitted in proposal form delineating the proposed
dates of the leave, the objectives to be accomplished as a result of the leave, and the
benefits students in the District will derive from the leave. Said application must be
submitted in writing to the Superintendent prior to April 15. The merits of the proposal
will significantly impact the consideration given to authorization of the requested leave.
Under special circumstances, a later request may be made and considered as deemed
appropriate by the Board. At no time shall the number of employees on approved leave
for study and educational travel exceed two percent (2%) of the number of professional
staff employees.
The time frames for leaves for study and educational travel will be coordinated to
accommodate the needs of the employee while proving to be the least disruptive to
students as possible. Normally, leaves will be authorized for the quarter, the semester,
or the year; however, shorter blocks of time may be considered. All leaves for study and
educational travel will be granted contingent upon being able to secure a suitable
replacement for the employee.
The employee on a leave for study or educational travel will be granted a position upon
return to the District. Every reasonable effort will be made to return the employee to the
original or a comparable position. The employee on an approved leave must notify the
Superintendent, in writing, by February 15 of his/her desire/intent to return to the District.
Notification of placement will be made by the District by May 15.
Consideration for horizontal advancement on the salary schedule for academic study may
be granted by the Board. Credit for vertical advancement on the salary schedule will not
be granted to an employee on authorized leave for study or educational travel if the
approved leave is granted for a time block that exceeds one academic quarter of the
school year.
The District will continue to maintain its portion of the employee benefit package during
the absence of an employee on an approved leave of thirty (30) calendar days or less.
Employees on approved leaves that exceed thirty (30) calendar days may continue to
maintain their insurance or other programs by paying all costs involved.
Revised: 5/16/2014
Park County School District #1, Powell, Wyoming