.png)
Consistent contact with students and staff is important to the learning environment and district operation and therefore is an essential duty of a professional staff member’s position. However, the Board recognizes that there are circumstances that require an employee to miss work, and the purpose of this policy is to identify situations where paid and unpaid leave from work is appropriate.
Reporting Absences
When absence is necessary, the individual should follow this system for reporting: A teacher needing a substitute will report, giving as much advance notice as possible, to his/her building administrator or to someone designated by the building administrator, who will arrange for the substitute. The substitute will, upon arrival, report to the building administrator who will inform the substitute concerning the length of time services will be needed for the particular assignment. Teachers who are absent from duty will inform the building administrator as to their status in regard to their returning to duty. Except in emergencies, teaching plans for the period of absence must be furnished to the building administrator. Failure to do so may result in loss of pay.
Personal Time Off (PTO)
PTO days may be for the following:
PTO days are provided to the employee on the first day of employment. Absences taken in full days please see example below.
Example if you are an employee who works, 8 hours a full day of PTO would be 8 hours. If you work 10 hours in the summer and take PTO in the summer, a full day of PTO would be 10 hours.
Employees may accumulate up to 150 unused PTO days. Days in excess of 150 days will be forfeited.
Subject to the rules set forth in this Policy, employees will be provided the following days of PTO per school year:
Non-Administrative Certified: 11 PTO leave days
Administrators 11-month and 12-month: 13 PTO leave days
Vacation
Administrators employed on an 11-month basis will receive five (5) days of vacation annually. Administrators employed on a 12-month basis will receive fifteen (15) days of vacation annually. Unused vacation days at the end of the school year will be forfeit.
Holidays
The District will grant paid and unpaid holidays in accordance with the academic calendar adopted by the Board. Holidays may be modified or eliminated as needed when the academic calendar is changed due to inclement weather or for other reasons. Holidays may change from year to year.
Professional Leave
Business absence for district, state and national meetings (associated/organizations) will be scheduled. If possible, to correspond with the in-service days allowed by the Board-approved calendar. When delegates attend the delegates’ assembly, the District will pay for one substitute for each block of 25 members of a state or national association as indicated by the list provided by the business department. (Example – 300 members equal 12 delegates). A maximum of 12 substitutes will be allowed to be absent when school is scheduled to be in session. (certificated staff appointed to committee by state organizations will need to schedule committee meetings on days allotted in the school calendar for in-service).
A professional absence for any meeting other than one of the district, state, or national meetings must be of an educational benefit to the students and district. Request should be submitted in writing to the building administrator. A decision granting permission or denial will be provided after reviewing the request with the building administrator and the designated assistance superintendent.
Professional leave is separate from personal leave. When a professional leave is not granted, the building administrator and the designated assistant superintendent will determine if leave request qualifies under the personal leave provisions.
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 the first fifteen (15) calendar days of military leave in each federal fiscal year. Additional military leave shall be without pay, except as required by federal and state law.
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.
Election Leave
Any employee who is appointed as an election judge pursuant to state law may be absent on any election day for the period of time required by the election authority. The employee must notify the district at least seven days prior to any election in which the employee will serve as an election judge. No employee will be terminated, disciplined, threatened or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on the employee's service as an election judge.
Leave to Vote
Employees who do not have three successive hours free from work while the polls are open will be granted a leave period of up to three hours to permit the employees three successive hours while the polls are open for the purpose of voting. Requests for such leave must be made prior to election day, and the employee's supervisors will designate when during the workday the leave should be taken. Any employee who properly requests leave to vote and uses the leave for that purpose will not be subject to discipline, termination or loss of wages or salary.
Firefighter Leave
Employees will be allowed to use personal, vacation and/or unpaid leave for any time taken to respond to an emergency in the course of performing duties as a volunteer firefighter. For the purposes of this section, "volunteer firefighter" includes members of Missouri-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Task Force One, Urban Search and Rescue Team or those activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in times of national disaster. Employees covered under this section shall not be terminated from employment for joining a volunteer fire department or for being absent from or late to work in order to respond to an emergency. Employees shall make every reasonable effort to notify the building administrator or supervisor if the employee may be absent from or late to work under this section. Employees are required to provide their supervisors with a written statement from the supervisor or acting supervisor of the volunteer fire department stating that the employee responded to an emergency along with the time and date of the emergency.
Crime Victim Leave
Any employee who is a crime victim, who witnesses a crime or who has an immediate family member who is a crime victim will not be required to use vacation, personal or sick leave in order to honor a subpoena to testify in a criminal proceeding, attend a criminal proceeding or participate in the preparation of the criminal proceeding.
Civil Air Patrol Leave
Any employee who is a member of Civil Air Patrol and has qualified for a Civil Air Patrol emergency service specialty or who is certified to fly counternarcotic missions shall be granted unpaid leave to perform Civil Air Patrol emergency service duty or counternarcotic missions without loss of time, regular leave or any other rights or benefits in accordance with law. The leave is limited to 15 working days in any calendar year but is unlimited when responding to a state- or nationally declared emergency in Missouri. The district may request that the employee be exempted from responding to a specific mission.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Leave
Employees who are members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will be granted an unpaid leave of absence for periods during which they are engaged in the performance of United States Coast Guard or United States Coast Guard Auxiliary duties, including travel related to such duties, when authorized by the director of auxiliary or other appropriate United States Coast Guard Authority. Such leaves of absence will be given without loss of time, regular leave or any other rights or benefits to which such employees would otherwise be entitled. The leave is limited to 15 working days in any calendar year but is unlimited when responding to a state- or nationally declared emergency in Missouri or upon any navigable waterway within or adjacent to the state of Missouri. The district may request that an employee be exempted from responding to a specific mission.
Effective Date
The changes in this existing policy will become effective on July 1, 2021. Leave accumulated under existing policy will be carried forward into the 2021-22 school year.
Consistent contact with students and staff is important to the learning environment and district operation and therefore is an essential duty of a professional staff member’s position. However, the Board recognizes that there are circumstances that require an employee to miss work, and the purpose of this policy is to identify situations where paid and unpaid leave from work is appropriate.
Reporting Absences
When absence is necessary, the individual should follow this system for reporting: A teacher needing a substitute will report, giving as much advance notice as possible, to his/her building administrator or to someone designated by the building administrator, who will arrange for the substitute. The substitute will, upon arrival, report to the building administrator who will inform the substitute concerning the length of time services will be needed for the particular assignment. Teachers who are absent from duty will inform the building administrator as to their status in regard to their returning to duty. Except in emergencies, teaching plans for the period of absence must be furnished to the building administrator. Failure to do so may result in loss of pay.
Personal Time Off (PTO)
PTO days may be for the following:
PTO days are provided to the employee on the first day of employment. Absences taken in full days please see example below.
Example if you are an employee who works 8 hours, a full day of PTO would be 8 hours. If you work 10 hours in the summer and take PTO in the summer, a full day of PTO would be 10 hours.
Employees may accumulate up to 150 unused PTO days. Days in excess of 150 days will be forfeited.
Subject to the rules set forth in this Policy, employees will be provided the following days of PTO per school year:
12-month employees: 13 PTO leave days
11-month employees: 12 PTO leave days
10-month employees: 11 PTO leave days
Vacation
Support staff who work eleven (11) months per year will receive five (5) days of vacation. Those working twelve (12) months per year will receive ten (10) days of vacation. Unused vacation will be forfeit at the end of the school year.
Holidays
The District will grant paid and unpaid holidays in accordance with the academic calendar adopted by the Board. Holidays may be modified or eliminated as needed when the academic calendar is changed due to inclement weather or for other reasons. Holidays may change from year to year.
Professional Leave
Business absence for district, state and national meetings (associated/organizations) will be scheduled. If possible, to correspond with the in-service days allowed by the Board-approved calendar. When delegates attend the delegates’ assembly, the District will pay for one substitute for each block of 25 members of a state or national association as indicated by the list provided by the business department. (Example – 300 members equal 12 delegates). A maximum of 12 substitutes will be allowed to be absent when school is scheduled to be in session. (certificated staff appointed to committee by state organizations will need to schedule committee meetings on days allotted in the school calendar for in-service).
A professional absence for any meeting other than one of the district, state, or national meetings must be of an educational benefit to the students and district. Request should be submitted in writing to the building administrator. A decision granting permission or denial will be provided after reviewing the request with the building administrator and the designated assistance superintendent.
Professional leave is separate from personal leave. When a professional leave is not granted, the building administrator and the designated assistant superintendent will determine if leave request qualifies under the personal leave provisions.
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 the first fifteen (15) calendar days of military leave in each federal fiscal year. Additional military leave shall be without pay, except as required by federal and state law.
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.
Election Leave
Any employee who is appointed as an election judge pursuant to state law may be absent on any election day for the period of time required by the election authority. The employee must notify the district at least seven days prior to any election in which the employee will serve as an election judge. No employee will be terminated, disciplined, threatened or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on the employee's service as an election judge.
Leave to Vote
Employees who do not have three successive hours free from work while the polls are open will be granted a leave period of up to three hours to permit the employees three successive hours while the polls are open for the purpose of voting. Requests for such leave must be made prior to election day, and the employee's supervisors will designate when during the workday the leave should be taken. Any employee who properly requests leave to vote and uses the leave for that purpose will not be subject to discipline, termination or loss of wages or salary.
Firefighter Leave
Employees will be allowed to use personal, vacation and/or unpaid leave for any time taken to respond to an emergency in the course of performing duties as a volunteer firefighter. For the purposes of this section, "volunteer firefighter" includes members of Missouri-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Task Force One, Urban Search and Rescue Team or those activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in times of national disaster. Employees covered under this section shall not be terminated from employment for joining a volunteer fire department or for being absent from or late to work in order to respond to an emergency. Employees shall make every reasonable effort to notify the building administrator or supervisor if the employee may be absent from or late to work under this section. Employees are required to provide their supervisors with a written statement from the supervisor or acting supervisor of the volunteer fire department stating that the employee responded to an emergency along with the time and date of the emergency.
Crime Victim Leave
Any employee who is a crime victim, who witnesses a crime or who has an immediate family member who is a crime victim will not be required to use vacation, personal or sick leave in order to honor a subpoena to testify in a criminal proceeding, attend a criminal proceeding or participate in the preparation of the criminal proceeding.
Civil Air Patrol Leave
Any employee who is a member of Civil Air Patrol and has qualified for a Civil Air Patrol emergency service specialty or who is certified to fly counternarcotics missions shall be granted unpaid leave to perform Civil Air Patrol emergency service duty or counternarcotics missions without loss of time, regular leave or any other rights or beneifits in accordance with law. The leave is limited to 15 working days in any calendar year but is unlimited when responding to a state- or nationally declared emergency in Missouri. The district may request that the employee be exempted from responding to a specific mission.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Leave
Employees who are members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will be granted an unpaid leave of absence for periods during which they are engaged in the performance of United States Coast Guard or United States Coast Guard Auxiliary duties, including travel related to such duties, when authorized by the director of auxiliary or other appropriate United States Coast Guard Authority. Such leaves of absence will be given without loss of time, regular leave or any other rights or beneifits to which such employees would otherwise be entitled. The leave is limited to 15 working days in any calendar year but is unlimited when responding to a state- or nationally declared emergency in Missouri or upon any navigable waterway within or adjacent to the state of Missouri. The district may request that an employee be exempted from responding to a specific mission.
Effective Date
The changes in this existing policy will become effective on July 1, 2021. Leave accumulated under existing policy will be carried forward into the 2021-22 school year.