Sabbatical Leave 1. Upon written application, not later than April 1 of any school year, a unit member who meets the following qualifications shall be granted a sabbatical leave.
2. All applications for sabbatical leave will be reviewed by a committee consisting of three (3) representatives to be named by the Superintendent, and three (3) representatives to be named by the Association President. The committee shall consider, among other qualifications, the following:
a. The proposed program of the applicant as related to professional graduate study, travel, writing, or research.
b. The value of the proposed program to the Pickerington Schools, its pupils, and the individual applicant.
c. The applicant’s total length of service with Pickerington Schools.
3. In order to be eligible for a sabbatical leave, a unit member must have been employed in the Pickerington School District for at least five (5) years.
4. Unit members requesting such leaves must accompany their applications with detailed plans for the proposed use of their sabbatical leaves. Within ninety (90) days after the expiration of his/her leave, the unit member will make a written report to the Superintendent detailing the use, which was made of his/her leave. If the leave was granted for graduate study, the unit member will present to the Superintendent a transcript from the university or college attended.
5. Unit members approved for a sabbatical leave will be notified of their approval by May 15th, or as soon thereafter as possible. A unit member on a sabbatical leave shall be given an employment contract for the year of leave and shall be entitled to a salary equal to the difference between their previous salary and the salary of the substitute teacher replacing them while on sabbatical leave.
6. As a condition of being granted a sabbatical leave, a unit member must agree to return to the Pickerington Schools for a period of one (1) year upon returning from leave. Failure to do so shall require the unit member to refund to the Board all payments received from the Board for sabbatical leave purposes during the leave period. Such refund shall be made within a four (4) month period beginning with the first full month said unit member was to have returned to duty. Such time limit may be extended by agreement of both parties.
7. Unit members on sabbatical leave shall be given full experience credit on the salary schedule and credit for seniority purposes for the period of the leave and shall return to their same or to a similar position as they held at the time the leave commenced.
8. A bargaining unit member on sabbatical leave may maintain health, life, and dental insurance benefits during the period of leave. Any member desiring continuation of such benefits must notify the Treasurer not less than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the leave and pay to the Treasurer an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the total monthly cost of the insurance not less than ten (10) days in advance of the time that the Board premium payment is due.
9. Any bargaining unit member who purchases retirement credit for the portion of their salary forfeited during the sabbatical leave will pay to STRS both the employee and employer share of retirement contributions.
10. All such sabbatical leaves shall be granted in conformity to the provisions of Section 3319.131 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Legislation Any reference in this Agreement to any legislation (whether primary legislation or regulations or other subsidiary legislation made pursuant to primary legislation) shall be construed as a reference to such legislation as the same may have been, or may from time to time be, amended or re-enacted.
Casual Leave (a) Employees may be granted casual leave with pay to a maximum of two (2) hours for the following purposes:
Maternity Leave (a) An employee shall have the right, upon written request, to leave of absence for pregnancy on the following basis:
(i) An employee shall be granted unpaid leave to a maximum of
(ii) The employee shall provide at least two (2) weeks’ notice prior to returning to work.
(iii) Upon return to work, the employee shall be placed in their former job, or another which is consistent with their classification, seniority, qualifications and former wage rate.
(iv) Upon return to work, a Regular employee and an employee on the "Part-time, Temporary, and Casual Seniority List" shall be credited with all seniority benefits based on calendar time to which they would have been entitled had the leave not taken place. Non- Regular employees who are not on the "Part-time, Temporary and Casual Seniority List" shall resume their hour accumulation and their one-hundred (100) day countdown on their return to work at the point where they left off.
(v) Upon return to work, an employee shall be credited with any wage increments to which they would have been entitled had the leave not taken place.
(vi) The District shall continue to provide coverage and pay its share of premiums for all the employee benefits to which the employee is entitled while on maternity leave.
(vii) When an employee gives birth before a request for maternity leave is made, maternity leave will be deemed to have started on the day of the birth.
(viii) A birth father shall be eligible for up to thirty-seven (37) consecutive weeks of unpaid leave beginning after the child’s birth and within fifty-two (52) weeks of the birth.
(ix) The District may require an employee to commence maternity leave where the employee can not reasonably perform their duties.
(x) Employees who meet the requirements for Sick Leave shall be eligible for the benefits of the Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan.
(b) A non-birthing employee shall receive three (3) paid days for the birth of their child or adoption of their child.
Political Leave Any employee who is a declared candidate for public office shall have the right to a leave of absence without pay for a reasonable period to campaign for the election. Such leave is subject to the conditions governing special leaves of absence without pay contained herein.
