Full-time staff members will be allowed sick leave for temporary disabilities as follows:

• First year of employment, 10 days
• Second year of employment, 11 days
• Third year of employment, 12 days
• Fourth year of employment, 13 days
• Fifth year of employment, 14 days
• Sixth and subsequent years, 15 days

Beyond the fifth year of employment 15 days are granted cumulative to one hundred thirty five (135) days.  The above amounts apply only to consecutive years of employment in the Central Springs Community School District. 

Sick leave benefits are restricted to accumulated sick leave days earned by the individual staff member.  Should the personal illness occur after or extend beyond the accumulated sick leave allowance the employee will be allowed a leave of absence without pay for the time period the employee is disabled (see Policy 404.6).

The employee shall notify the superintendent or his designee as soon as the necessity for taking sick leave becomes known to the employee.  The employee may continue to work as long as he/she is physically able.

The employee, while taking sick leave under these provisions, shall keep the superintendent, or his designee, informed of the duration of the disability and the expected date of return to duty.  When deemed necessary the Board of Education may require a staff member to submit a statement from an attending physician as to the temporary disability.  The employee should return to work as soon as a physician determines the individual is capable of performing the work.  A signed release from your doctor listing any restrictions may be required by your supervisor before you may return to work after an extended sick leave.

The employee who is unable to work because of personal illness or temporary disability and who has exhausted all sick leave available shall be granted a leave of absence without pay for the duration of such illness or temporary disability through the end of the school year.  Insurance coverage shall be continued at the negotiated rate until the insurance policy anniversary date for employees who have exhausted all sick leave and have been placed on leave without pay.

 

MATERNITY LEAVE

For the individual employee who has a pregnancy condition the individual employee may take up to twelve (12) consecutive calendar weeks of Personal Illness Leave with pay (restricted to accumulated sick leave days earned by the individual staff member).  Any number of days used during the twelve (12) weeks not covered by accumulated sick leave may be covered by Family and Medical Leave without pay. The total combination of days taken must be consecutive days.  The weeks listed above will commence at birth.

 

QUARANTINE

Days may be deducted from accumulated sick leave for the employee  to be in quarantine if required by regulations implemented by the Department of Public Health, unless the required quarantine is a direct result of personal travel. If an employee chooses to travel and upon return from their trip is forced to quarantine, paid days sick leave will not be allowed. Instead employees may use their personal days or unpaid leave.

 

CRITICAL FAMILY ILLNESS / BEREAVEMENT

Employees may also use days to attend to the illness or provide care during a required quarantine of a child or spouse.  In the event of a death of a member of an employee's immediate family, bereavement leave may be granted. Bereavement leave may be granted to an employee for no more than 5 days, with "day" being defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of the employee, per occurrence, for the death of a member of the immediate family. The immediate family includes spouse, parent, brother, sister, child, or stepchild.

A leave up to three days may be granted to attend the funeral of an employee’s mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild or ex-spouse with minor children. A leave of up to two days may be granted to attend the funeral of an employee’s brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparents of the employee, spouse’s grandparent, aunt, uncle, stepfather, stepmother, stepsister, stepbrother, or ex-spouse. No more than 1 day of bereavement leave per year will be granted for the death of a close friend or other relative not listed above.

It is within the discretion of the superintendent to determine the number of bereavement leave days to be granted.

Legal Reference:
29 U.S.C. §§ 2601 et seq.
Pub.L. 116–127
29 C.F.R. §§ 825; 826.
Iowa Code §§ 20; 29A; 55; 85; 216; 279.40; 607A.
Whitney v. Rural Ind. School District, 232 Iowa 61, 4 N.W.2d 394 (1942).
Bewley v. Villisca Community School District, 299 N.W. 2d 904 (Iowa 1980).

Cross Reference:
401.9 Employee Political Activity
403.2 Employee Injury on the Job
403.6 Drug and Alcohol Testing Program series
409.3 Employee Family and Medical Leave series
706.3 Pay Deductions series 
 

 

Approved:  12-14-21
Reviewed: 5-15-23
Revised: 5-15-23

 

ADOPTION

An employee may be granted a paid leave of absence, not to exceed a total of three (3) consecutive calendar days, in the case of the employee adopting a child or children.  Such paid leave days shall be charged to the employee’s accrued sick leave. If both husband and wife are employees, each shall have the opportunity to use this policy.  Employees who are eligible for unpaid leave for the adoption of a child under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act will be granted leave in accordance with the FMLA and Board policy.  If both a husband and a wife are eligible for family and medical leave and are employed by the District, such leave for adoption will be limited to a combined total of twelve (12) weeks during a twelve-month period. If the adoption is that of a newborn, and the employee is the designated primary caregiver, the Superintendent may grant additional paid leave of absence, not to exceed a total of thirty (30) consecutive days from the date of birth.

 

ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY

Absence without pay may be authorized by the superintendent and principal for purposes considered urgent, necessary, or unique.  For such absences, deductions from the employee's salary will be made in accordance with the school district's pay deduction regulations. An involuntary absence where prior notice was not possible may be excused by the superintendent.  The employee shall make a leave request as soon as possible to request approval for such absence. Other absences than those herein provided for, or failure to follow the foregoing regulations, may be deemed to be neglect of duty and may be sufficient grounds for dismissal.

 

ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY (VACATION TRAVEL) - LICENSED EMPLOYEES ONLY

The superintendent may approve an absence of 1 to 5 days for an unusual opportunity for vacation travel if the following criteria are met:

1. Requests will be allowed for up to a maximum of 5 days per three year period.  The number of days utilized may range from one to five for any one request; however, regardless of the number of days requested, no more than two requests per three year period may be approved.
2. Part-time employees may apply for "like" days if all other criteria have been met (i.e. up to five one-half days by a staff member currently teaching one-half time).
3. Personal leave must be utilized in conjunction with or to extend an approved Absence Without Pay leave.
4. Requests will be submitted to the superintendent through the building principal or supervisor.
5. Failure to follow the foregoing regulations, may be deemed to be neglect of duty and may be sufficient grounds for dismissal.

 

JURY DUTY

The Board will allow employees to be excused for jury duty unless extraordinary circumstances exist.  The superintendent has the discretion to determine when extraordinary circumstances exist. Employees who are called for jury service will notify the direct supervisor within twenty-four hours after notice of call to jury duty and suitable proof of jury service pay must be presented to the school district.  The employee will report to work within one hour on any day when the employee is excused from jury duty during regular working hours. Licensed employees will receive their regular salary.  Any payment for jury duty will be paid to the school district.

 

MILITARY LEAVE

The Board recognizes employees may be called to participate in the armed forceS, including the national guard.  If an employee is called to serve in the armed forces, the employee will have a leave of absence for military service until the military service is completed. The leave is without loss of status of efficiency rating, and without loss of pay during the first thirty calendar days of the leave.

 

PERSONAL LEAVE

Licensed Employees

Three (3) days of personal leave per school year will be granted for licensed employees.  Notification will be submitted to the superintendent through the building principal.  The administration may limit the number of employees leaving on the same day to the number of available substitutes. At the end of the school year any unused days shall be reimbursed at a rate approved in the Master Contract between the employee’s licensed bargaining unit and the Board and/or be allowed to carry one over. The cost of the substitute for the two days taken will be borne by the school district. Approval of Personal Leave requests are based on the assumption that the employee’s personal business is of a nature that cannot be done outside the school day.  Though a reason is not required on the request, the Board trusts that employees will follow this guideline.

Classified Employees

Classified employees working less than 260 days per year and ineligible for vacation days are allowed two day of personal leave per year.  Personal leave may be used to attend to matters of a personal nature, subject to operation requirements.  Requests are to be submitted to the superintendent through the building principal or support staff director.

 

PATERNITY LEAVE

An employee may be granted a paid leave of absence, not to exceed a total of three (3) consecutive calendar days, in the case of the employee becoming a father.  Such paid leave days shall be charged to the employee’s accrued sick leave. Employees who are eligible for unpaid leave for the birth of a child under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act will be granted leave in accordance with the FMLA and Board policy.  If both a husband and a wife are eligible for family and medical leave and are employed by the District, such leave for adoption will be limited to a combined total of twelve (12) weeks during a twelve-month period.

 

POLITICAL LEAVE

The Board will provide a leave of absence to employees to run for elective public office.  The superintendent will grant an employee a leave of absence to campaign as a candidate for an elective public office as unpaid leave. The employee will be entitled to one period of leave to run for the elective public office, and the leave may commence within thirty days of a contested primary, special, or general election and continue until the day following the election. The request for leave must be in writing to the superintendent of schools at least thirty days prior to the starting date of the requested leave.

 

PROFESSIONAL LEAVE

Professional purposes leave may be granted to employees for the purpose of attending meetings and conferences directly related to their assignments.  Application for the leave must be presented to the superintendent 30 days prior to the meeting or conference.It is within the discretion of the superintendent to grant professional purposes leave.  The leave may be denied on the day before or after a vacation or holiday, on special days when services are needed, when it would cause undue interruption of the education program and school district operations, or for other reasons deemed relevant by the superintendent.

 

VACATIONS AND HOLIDAYS  - SEE POLICY 409.1

Legal Reference:
29 U.S.C. §§ 2601 et seq.
Pub.L. 116–127
29 C.F.R. §§ 825; 826.
Iowa Code §§ 20; 29A; 55; 85; 216; 279.40; 607A.
Whitney v. Rural Ind. School District, 232 Iowa 61, 4 N.W.2d 394 (1942).
Bewley v. Villisca Community School District, 299 N.W. 2d 904 (Iowa 1980).

Cross Reference:
401.9 Employee Political Activity
403.2 Employee Injury on the Job
403.6 Drug and Alcohol Testing Program series
409.3 Employee Family and Medical Leave series
706.3 Pay Deductions series 
 

 

Approved:  12-14-21
Reviewed: 5-15-23
Revised: 5-15-23