Paid Sick Leave

Professional staff employees whose assignments call for 12 months of fulltime employment will be entitled to fourteen (14) days of sick leave, four (4) of which can be used as personal leave. Professional staff employees whose assignments call for full-time employment only during the regular school term will be entitled to twelve (12) days of sick leave, four (4) of which can be used as personal leave. Unused sick leave will be cumulative to 100 sick days. An absence of over One (1) through four (4) hours shall be counted as a half-day sick leave.

Absences may be charged against sick leave for the following reasons:

1. Illness, temporary disability or permanent disability of the employee. The Board reserves the right to require a physician's certification attesting to the illness or disability or the claimant and/or inclusive dates of employee's incapacitation if the absence is for more than ten (10) consecutive days. FMLA health certification procedures apply to FMLA-qualifying absences, even if such absences are paid sick leave. The district need not wait ten (10) days before requesting an FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider form in conjunction with a preliminary designation that FMLA applies to an absence.
2. Illness or injury to a member of the immediate family. The board defines "Immediate family: to include spouse, parents, children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters of an employee or employee's spouse. (Note: "Family" for FMLA purposes is more limited.)
3. Illness or injury of other relatives, with permission granted by the superintendent.

A district employee shall not be entitled to use sick days during the period the employee receives Workers' Compensation for time lost to work-related incidents.

Any certificated employee who is a member of a retirement system shall remain a member during any period of leave under sick leave provisions of the district or under Workers' Compensation. The employee shall also receive creditable service credit for such leave time, if the employee makes contributions to the system equal to the amount of contributions that he or she would have made had he or she been on active service status.

When a person retires from the East Buchanan C-1 School District, under the definition of normal retirement as defined by PSRS, their accumulated sick leave will be bought back at a rate of $50 per day with a maximum accumulation of 100 days. Total days will be figured after the retiring employee's final contract day and will be paid in the last pay period of the fiscal year the employee retires once the employee leaves the district.

Personal Leave

A maximum of two (2) days of personal leave will be taken from the number of sick leave days allotted per school year. Unused personal leave days may accumulate to four (4) days with no more than four (4) days available for use in any one year.

Whenever possible, it is expected that requests for leave will be made in writing to the designated administrator at least 48 hours in advance of the time leave is requested. However, 30 days' notice is required by law if the leave qualifies for FMLA leave. The administrator will respond promptly to the employee's written request.

A district employee shall not be entitled to use personal leave days during the period the employee receives Workers' Compensation for time lost to work-related incidents.

Bereavement Leave

A maximum of three (3) days bereavement leave will be granted if a death occurs in the immediate family of the employee or employee's spouse. If death occurs to others, or in an extension of the three (3) day maximum is necessary the superintendent may approve further bereavement leave if requested by the employee before the absence occurs. Bereavement leave days shall be deducted from employee's accumulated sick or personal leave. The Board defines "immediate family" to include spouse, parents, children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters of an employee or employee's spouse.

Leave for Jury Duty

Employees called for jury duty or subpoenaed to testify in a civil or criminal proceeding will be granted leave apart from personal leave. Employees will receive their normal pay less any jury or witness fees received.

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.

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.