As pertaining to this regulation, full-time employees shall be defined as hired to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.  Only 12-month employees, hired to work a minimum of 30 hours per week shall be eligible to earn vacation time.  Employees hired to work a minimum of 30 hours per week, but less than 40 hours per week, shall earn leave on a prorated basis, per their scheduled work hours percentage.  

Sick Leave

Full-time 40 hours per week employees shall earn sick leave as follows with unlimited accumulation.

Sick leave shall be defined as that which is necessary because of illness on the part of the employee, or household, serious illness, or hospitalization in their immediate family.  Immediate family is defined as:  husband, wife, children, parents, siblings, parents-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, children-in-law, or member of the employee's household.  Before leave time is allowed or a leave of absence is granted, the District may require a physicians’ certification be furnished stating the necessity for the absence.

In addition, full-time employees are allowed to use three sick days per year for attendance at funerals, other than immediate family, as defined above.

The District shall pay terminated employees who have completed five (5) years of service for unused accumulated sick leave at a rate of $50 per day, up to seventy-five (75) days, provided the employee has fulfilled the terms of their current contract, or has been released from their contract.

The District shall also pay annually for unused sick leave accumulated in excess of seventy-five(75) days, at a rate of $50 per day. 

Instead of annual reimbursement, the employee may choose to accumulate an unlimited number of sick days.

Personal Leave

Each full-time employee shall be granted two (2) days per year of personal time.  In addition, to the above, one-half (½) day of personal leave will be added for experience at years 10, 15, 20, and 25, provided those years of experience are with the Cole County R-V School District.

Personal leave time shall be allowed to accumulate, if not taken, to a maximum of seven (7) days.  Any accumulation of personal leave in excess of seven (7) days shall transfer to sick leave time.

To be eligible for personal leave, the employee desiring to use personal days must schedule a request to the faculty principal at least one week in advance. The Superintendent/designee has the right to deny any request for personal leave that does not conform to the policy or would cause hardship to students or staff.  Personal leave days cannot be used for work stoppages. Personal leave time shall not be taken for more than three (3) consecutive days and shall not be granted for any days over what is accumulated.  Personal leave may not be taken on the first day of school, day before Christmas break, day after Christmas break, and the last day of school or any professional development day.

Under extenuating circumstances, employees may request to take two (2) additional unpaid days in conjunction with the maximum of three (3) personal days allowed.  A written request must be made 60 days in advance of the requested leave to the Superintendent.  If the additional unpaid leave request is denied by the Superintendent, the employee may appeal the decision to the Board of Education.  

Employees are encouraged to review Board Policy 4310 regarding excessive absences before personal leave requests are made.

Bereavement Leave

Separate from, and therefore not charged to sick or personal time, each full-time employee shall be allowed three (3) paid work days of bereavement time at the death of any member of the employee’s immediate family, as that term is defined in the sick leave regulation.

In addition, each full-time employee shall be allowed one (1) paid workday of bereavement time to be used for extended family members.

Employees that are needing additional days beyond the allotted paid workdays of bereavement for immediate and extended family members may request additional days for extenuating circumstances (ex. Long travel time, additional hardship, etc.).  Any days granted for such extenuating circumstances will require the use of sick days.

Employees wishing to attend funerals of individuals that do not fall into the above categories should refer to sick leave above.

Bereavement leave is not accumulative.

Jury Duty Leave

Separate from, and therefore not charged to sick or personal leave time, 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.

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 for Court Subpoena

If the subpoena is directly related to the employee's school duties, the employee will be released for court appearance without loss of leave. Other court appearances will be deducted from leave.

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.  Voluntary reserve duty does not qualify.

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.

Full-time 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 in 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.

Family and Medical Leave

See Policy & Regulation 4321 for more details.

Domestic/Sexual Violence Victim Leave

See Policy & Regulation 4322 for more details.

Vacation

See Policy & Regulation 4330 for more details.

Holidays

See Policy & Regulation 4330 for more details.

Employee Emergency Service

Staff members joining any fire department, fire protection district, volunteer fire department, the Missouri-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Task Force One, Urban Search and Rescue Team, or staff member activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond to a national disaster will not be subject to dismissal due to their joining such organizations.  However, such employees who are absent from work, or who are late to work due to such service may be docked and/or required to submit written verification concerning the time and date of the emergency.  In addition, such employees are required to make a reasonable effort to notify their supervisors that they will be absent or late due to emergency service.