Paid Leave

Professional staff employees whose assignment calls for twelve-month full-time employment will be entitled to 12 days of paid leave per year and 10 days of vacation. Professional staff employees whose assignment calls for full-time employment only during the regular school term will be entitled to 10 days paid leave per year.  All requested leave will be approved by administration. Employee will have pay reduced by the rate of his/her pay scale for leave that is not approved. Requested paid leave to occur on either an in-service/staff development day or the day immediately preceding/following an extended break in the school calendar (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, etc) will not be approved, unless deemed necessary by administration. The Superintendent must give final approval.

Paid leave may be used for the following purposes:

Sick Leave-

Sick leave may only be used for illness of the staff member or the staff member's immediate family. Immediate family is defined as spouse, parent, grandparent, child, sibling, daughter or son-in-law, grandchild, or non-family residing within the staff member's home. The Superintendent/designee may request a physician's statement regarding an absence and/or verification that the employee may return to work.

Personal Leave-

Paid personal leave days may only be used for personal business that cannot be transacted in nonwork hours. The Superintendent/designee has the right to deny any request for personal leave that does not conform to the policy or would cause a hardship to students or staff.

Bereavement Leave -

Use of these days will be charged to paid leave.

Professional staff has the option at the end of the contracted year to carry over any unused paid leave days (excluding vacation); according to the chart below. or being financially reimbursed per day not used in the current school year. The decision to carry over days or be reimbursed must be made the last day of school. Once the decision has been made to carry over days, the staff no longer has the option to be reimbursed. Absences are recorded by every quarter hour of time absent. Unpaid leave shall not be considered for use of paid leave for any purpose.

Upon terminating employment with the school district, an employee shall be paid for each accumulated paid leave day (excluding vacation) according to the chart below. First year employees whose employment is terminated before the end of the school year will forfeit any remaining leave not used at the date of termination.

Upon qualifying for retirement from the district under PEERS/PSRS, an employee shall be paid for each accumulated paid leave day (excluding vacation) according to the chart below.

At the end of each school year, June 30, any employee who has used any days in excess of his/her cumulated sick leave days shall have his/her pay reduced at the rate of his/her pay scale.

Leave for Jury Duty

Employees called for jury duty, for participation in the jury selection process, or subpoenaed to testify in a civil or criminal proceeding will be granted leave with pay.  Employees will receive their normal pay less any jury or witness fees received.  Employees called for jury selection or service on a jury will not be requested or required to use annual vacation, personal leave, or sick leave for time required in such civic service.

Military Leave

An employee who is a member of the National Guard, or an organized military service of the United States, and who is required by laws of the United States or the State of Missouri to report for military duty, including training, shall be eligible for a grant of military leave.

Application for military leave shall be made in advance, as soon as practicable after the employee becomes aware of his/her obligation to report and immediately upon the employee's receipt of official notice to report.  A copy of the official orders must be added to the leave application. The Superintendent/designee must approve the application.  Emergency mobilization orders shall be dealt with on an individual basis.

The District recognizes that employees who receive notice to report for duty typically are not provided with discretion as to when to report.  However, whenever an employee has a choice as to when to report for military duty, the employee's military leave shall be arranged during periods in which school is not in session. When the employee is given a choice as to when to report for duty, the Superintendent/designee may request that the employee seek a change in military orders if such a change appears to be in the best interest of the District.

Employees shall receive leave with pay for up to one hundred twenty (120) hours of military leave in each federal fiscal year.  Additional military leave shall be without pay, except as required by federal and state law. Any person entitled to military leave shall only be charged military leave for any hours which the person would otherwise have been required to work had it not been for such military leave at a minimum of one hour and additional charges will be in multiples of one hour. Each employee shall furnish a copy of the employee's military payroll voucher to the Superintendent/designee within thirty (30) days of the employee's return to regular assignment so that the necessary salary adjustments can be made.

Employee eligibility for reinstatement after military duty is completed shall be determined in accordance with federal and state laws.

Domestic/Sexual Violence Victim Leave (See Policy and Regulation 4322).

Leave of Absence

Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee and the approval of the Board, an employee of the District may be granted a leave of absence for non-Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) child care, education, or other good cause. Such leave is renewable upon written request for one additional year only. Application for leave is to be made in writing to the Superintendent/designee via Principal/supervisor and must include the period for which the leave is requested and the reasons for the request. The period should be set to least disrupt the education of students. Requests for leave for an entire school year should normally be made in writing before March 1 of the preceding year.

If leave is approved by the Board, the employee is not paid for the period of the leave. Insurance benefits may be continued by the employee by making all payments to the Payroll Office, one month in advance.

Whenever a leave of absence has been granted by the Board to the end of the school year, the employee must notify the Superintendent in writing by the first day of March of an intention to resume his/her position at the beginning of the next school year. Failure to notify the Superintendent/designee of such intention will be regarded as a resignation.

Upon completion of an approved leave, provided proper notification is given, a teacher will be re-employed by the District unless placed on involuntary leave of absence if tenured; or, if notified of nonrenewal of contract by April 15 if a probationary teacher.

If desired, and whenever feasible, the employee will be placed on the same or equivalent position to the one held prior to the approved leave.

NOTE: Leave of absence without pay under the provisions of this regulation does not apply as service towards tenure for probationary teachers.

Sick Leave Accumulation and Reimbursement Rate (as of June 30, 2026)

• Fulltime employees hired after adoption of the policy may accumulate up to 60 days of sick leave.
• Current fulltime employees at time of policy adoption:
• If ending the 2026 school year with less then 60 days of accumulated sick leave, they may accumulate up to 60 days maximum.
• If ending the 2026 school year with more then 60 days of accumulated sick leave, they may not exceed their current amount in any year, or exceed 90 days if ending the current year over 90 days. 

Reimbursement Rate

• Rates are based on the current substitute teacher daily rate and ½ of the daily rate.  ($115 and $58).
• Reimbursement rates will increase as the daily substitute teacher rate increases.

August 2021, Copyright © 2021 Missouri Consultants for Education, LLC

BOE Approved May 13, 2026