EXTENDED LEAVES OF ABSENCE A. Extended Leaves of Absence: As applicable, staff members employed during the 2015-16 school year will be “grandfathered” under the terms of the previous language. Provision has been made by the Board of Education for absence from duty of Professional Employees as follows: Health Leave Association Business Leave Parental Leave Military Leave Foreign Travel or Teaching - Academic Study Personal All requests for extended leaves of absence will be applied for and those approved shall be granted in writing. Professional Employees requesting reassignment upon completion of an extended leave of absence will be assigned to the first available position based upon their professional preparation, experience, and certification. Except for Association Business Leave and Military Leave, if a vacancy is not available by the beginning of the second year following the completion of the leave, the leave status ends and the Professional Employee is terminated from the district. Part-time Professional Employees who go on Extended Leave of Absence should not expect to return to a position which would increase their contract time. A part-time Professional Employee returning from Extended Leave of Absence may be offered a position of greater contract time.
B. Health Leave (extended) Any Professional Employee, having served the district for a minimum of three years, or with approval from the Superintendent and/or their designee, whose personal illness or physical incapacity extends beyond accumulated Xxxx Leave will be granted leave of absence without pay or increment for the remainder of the current semester. Health leave may be extended for one additional semester with application, as appropriate and available, made no less than 30 days prior to the conclusion of the current semester. In cases where such notice is not available, consideration will be made at the discretion of the Superintendent and/or their designee. At such time as the employee is diagnosed by their medical advisor as able to return to work, the employee may be returned to a position for which they are licensed, provided one is available, at the beginning of the subsequent semester or school year. Under no circumstances will an employee be entitled to return to a position.
C. Association Business Leave (extended)
1. Professional Employees designated by the recognized employees' organization may, upon request, be granted a leave of absence for up to two years without pay, for the purpose of engaging in activities of local, state, and national affiliates of the Association. Upon return from such a leave, a Professional Employee will be assigned to the same position, if available; or, if not, to a substantially equivalent position.
2. The president of the NEA SM may, upon request, be granted a leave of absence for up to six years for the purposes of performing those duties. The district will annually issue an employment contract to the NEA SM president during the term of the president's service. Such president shall receive Experience Credit as outlined in Article XI (Contracts and Salaries) C. (Experience Credit), 2. (Present Employees), hereof. During the tenure of the NEA SM president, the provisions of Article VIII (Temporary Leaves of Absence) hereof shall not apply to said president, including the accumulation of temporary leave and the reporting of absences to the district. The NEA SM will reimburse the district for all salary and benefits costs associated with the president's compensation. The Association agrees that the NEA SM president does not serve as an agent of the district while performing duties of the NEA SM president. Accordingly, the Association agrees to indemnify and hold the district harmless for any action of the NEA SM president while performing duties of the NEA SM president. Upon return from such leave, the NEA SM president will be assigned to the same position, if available, or, if not, to a substantially equivalent position. During the president's leave of absence, the president may agree to accept an additional assignment from the district. In that case, the district and the president shall agree (a) to the president's duties and responsibilities, (b) the terms and conditions of that assignment, and (c) an appropriate credit toward the NEA SM reimbursement for the president's salary and benefits.
D. Parental Leave (extended)
1. A Professional Employee may be granted a leave of absence, without pay or increment, for the purpose of prenatal care, or for the purpose of childcare, upon the birth of or adoption of a child. Under special/appropriate circumstances, approved Parental Leave (extended) may be adjusted/discontinued with the approval of the Superintendent and/or their designee.
a. In the event of pregnancy, the Professional Employee shall file a request for extended parental leave with the Human Resources Office at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy.
b. In the event of an adoption, the Professional Employee shall file written notice with Human Resources at the time the Professional Employee received notice from the adoption agency.
c. Such leave may commence at any time and will extend through the end of the current semester.
d. Upon written application, such leave may be extended for one semester. Exceptions to this policy will be governed by the requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
E. Military Leave (extended)
1. Leave for military or alternate civilian service, as provided by law or in the regulations of the Selective Service System, will be granted, without pay or increment, to any Professional Employee who is inducted or enlists in active military or civilian services. This leave shall continue for the duration of the period of actual service and for ninety (90) days immediately following the honorable discharge or separation of the employee.
2. Within ninety (90) days following the honorable discharge, each person desiring reinstatement shall so notify the Board and shall furnish evidence of physical fitness and mental competence to do the kind of work the Professional Employee was doing at the time leave was granted, or such work as may be available.
3. This leave does not include or guarantee any assignment in addition to, or independent of, the standard assignment or any extra-standard salary allotment therefor.
4. Every possible consideration and preference in assignment shall be accorded to persons returning to the schools from the Armed Services.
5. This leave applies only to persons who enter military service, and does not apply to persons who voluntarily seek employment in war industries or other governmental positions.
6. Professional Employees who are members of units of the National Guard or reserve forces of the United States and who are called to serve a mandated tour of duty for training or other service by proper authority pursuant to the laws of the United States or of the State of Kansas, shall be granted a leave of absence not to exceed fifteen (15) days during a contract period. Professional Employees called to serve will select those duty options which least interfere with the educational program of the District. The Professional Employee will be reimbursed by the District to make up any difference between the Professional Employee's base contract daily rate and the Professional Employee's military pay during this leave of absence.
F. Foreign Travel or Teaching; Academic Study (extended)
1. Foreign Travel
Extended Leave of Absence
A. The Committee agrees that one teacher, on professional status, designated by the Association, per contract year, may at the discretion of the Committee be granted a leave of absence for no more than two (2) years without pay for the purpose of engaging in Association (local, state or national) activities. Upon return from such leave, the teacher may be considered as if he/she were actively employed by the Committee and may be placed on the salary schedule at the level he/she would have achieved if he/she had not been absent on such leave.
B. A leave of absence, without pay, of up to two (2) years, will be granted to one teacher, on professional status, per school year, for the purpose of joining the Peace Corps, or serving as a teacher in an exchange program approved by the Superintendent, and, provided further that said teacher is a full-time participant in either of the above described programs. Upon return from such leave, a teacher will be considered as if he/she were actively employed by the Committee during the leave and will be placed on the salary schedule at the level he/she would have achieved if he/she had not been absent on such leave.
C. Military leave without pay will be granted to a teacher upon such teacher's enlistment or induction in the armed forces of the United States, to extend through such teacher’s initial enlistment or tour of duty. On return from such leave, the teacher will be placed on the salary schedule at the level he/she would have achieved had he/she remained actively employed by the Cohasset Public Schools during the period of his/her absence. If the teacher should voluntarily remain in the armed forces beyond the expiration of his/her enlistment or first tour of duty, his/her place on the salary schedule shall be determined at the discretion of the Committee.
D. A maternity/paternity/adoption leave of absence without pay of up to one (1) year will be granted upon request to a teacher who has been employed on active duty for his/her full schedule for a minimum of three (3) consecutive months prior to the start of the leave period. A request for maternity/paternity/adoption leave must be submitted under ordinary circumstances in writing to the Superintendent of Schools at least eight (8) weeks before the requested anticipated date of departure, and the anticipated date of return must be specified. A teacher who takes an extended leave unpaid in excess of eight (8) weeks for the purpose of child-rearing must submit notification in writing to the Superintendent of Schools at least eight
Extended Illness Leave 4.1 When an employee is absent from his/her duties on account of illness or accident for a period of five (5) school months or less, whether or not the illness or accident arises out of or in the course of employment, the amount deducted from the salary due the employee for any of the five-school-month periods in which the absence occurs shall not exceed the sum which is actually paid a substitute employee employed to fill the employee’s position during his/her absence, or if no substitute employee was employed, the amount that would have been paid to the substitute had a substitute been employed. The sick leave, including accumulated sick leave, and the five-month period shall run consecutively. In other words, the five-month period stipulated above begins immediately after use of the employee’s current annual ten (10) days plus any accumulated sick leave. When the employee remains absent after use of the five-month differential pay leave, the employee shall be in unpaid status.
4.2 When the employee has exhausted all available sick leave, including accumulated sick leave, and continues to be absent on account of illness or accident for a period beyond the five-month period, and the employee is not medically able to resume the duties of his/her position, the employee shall, if not placed in another position, be placed on a reemployment list for a period of twenty-four (24) months if the employee is on probationary status or for a period of thirty-nine (39) months if the employee is on permanent status. When the employee is medically able, during the 24- or 39-month period, the employee shall be returned to employment in a position for which he/she is credentialed and is qualified with preference to return to the same position held before leave if available and meets the needs of the district. The 24- or 39-month period shall commence at the expiration of the five-month period described above.
