Paid Sick Leave
Three (3) days of the annual sick leave may be granted for personal leave, otherwise, 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/step-parent, grandparent, child/step-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
Three (3) days of the annual sick leave may be granted for personal leave. Two (2) days may be used without reason. The additional day must be for business that cannot be done outside of the normal school day. This may include, but not limited to, attending to the sale or purchase of property, attending to legal matters, etc. The principal and/or superintendent will make the determination of acceptable use of day.
Personal days may not be requested on the day before or after a holiday, during state/local testing windows (unless approved by building principal), parent-teacher conference days, and at any other time the building principal and/or superintendent deem inappropriate and/or would cause a hardship to students or staff. Employees must request personal days at least three (3) days in advance and an appropriate substitute must be available.
Personal days will not accumulate but will be rolled into the employee’s sick leave carryover at the end of each school year.
The building principal/superintendent may approve emergency leaves by phone. When this situation occurs appropriate leave forms must be completed upon the employee’s return.
Personal Leave - Tenured Faculty Incentive Program
Once after completing fifteen (15) years in the West St. Francois County R-IV School District and a second time after twenty-five (25) years in the District a faculty member may qualify to use five (5) personal days in a calendar school year, which may be taken consecutively. The faculty member would have to meet the following criteria:
This incentive leave cannot be used during the State testing preparation/window of March 1st thru May 15th (these dates could change on a yearly basis). The building principal and/or Superintendent of Schools have the authority to disapprove/deny a leave request in other parts of the school year. The faculty member may appeal a denied request through the proper chain of command channels.
As per the agreement only one (1) faculty member per High School, one (1) faculty member per Middle School, and two (2) faculty members per Elementary building will be allowed to use this leave program at a time. The leave will be granted in the order (first come/first serve) in which it is requested by qualifying staff.
Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave is available only upon the death of a member of the employee’s immediate family, as that term is defined in the sick leave regulation.
A maximum of two (2) days may be used in any school year for bereavement purposes with no deduction of leave accumulation, if requested by the employee. Additional days needed will be deducted from leave days of said employee. Use of these days will be charged to personal leave and if insufficient personal leave is available, to sick leave. Bereavement leave is not accumulative and official leave forms must be completed. Use of bereavement days must be within two (2) days of the funeral services.
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.
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.