CHAPTER 6.00 - PERSONNEL

6.23 Personal Leave

Policy:

(1) Personal Leave chargeable to sick leave. Employees may be allowed five (5) days paid leave for personal reasons each year to be charged against accrued sick leave. Such leave shall be non-cumulative and any request for such leave shall be approved, in advance, by the Superintendent or his/her designee. 

(2) Unpaid Personal Leave. Employees shall make written application for such leave without compensation. Personal leave shall terminate at the end of the contractual period. Personal leave may be granted at the discretion of the School Board as hereinafter provided: 

(a) Family Leave. Any full-time employee of the Board will be granted family leave without pay provided a written application for leave accompanied by a statement verifying the pregnancy. Such leave shall not exceed the balance of the school fiscal year in which the child is born. 

(b) Parental Leave. Any full-time employee of the Board may be granted parental leave for a period of one (1) year for the purpose of child-rearing. 

1. An employee who has fathered a child may apply for parental leave for a period not to exceed the balance of the school fiscal year in which the child is born and one (1) succeeding year subject to appropriate notice. 

2. An employee may apply for a leave of absence on the event of his/her adoption of a child, provided such leave shall not exceed the balance of the school fiscal year in which such adoption shall occur and the next succeeding year, and provided a written application for such leave is submitted to the employee’s immediate supervisor within two (2) calendar weeks after approval for adoption by the recognized agency or source. 

3. In all instances herein where a leave of absence shall extend beyond one (1) school fiscal year, re-application shall be made in accordance with the rules of the Board. 

(c) Leave for political campaigning. An employee who has filed for election to a political office and who desires personal leave for political reasons shall file an application for leave. The School Board may grant such personal leave without pay for a period not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days prior to the election. 

(d) Each extended leave-without-pay request shall be considered on its own merit by the School Board Requests for extended leave to take another position for salary shall be denied unless there are extenuating circumstances that are acceptable to the Board.

1. Upon return from leave, the teacher shall be given a position for which the teacher is qualified.

(e) Leave related to Domestic or Sexual Violence. 

1. An employee, who has been employed by the District for at least three (3) calendar months, may request and shall be granted up to three (3) days of unpaid personal leave within a twelve (12) month period if he/she has been a victim of domestic or sexual violence or if a family or household member has been a victim of domestic or sexual violence. 

2. The leave must be used for one or more of the following purposes: 

a. To seek an injunction for protection against domestic violence or for protection in cases of repeat violence, dating violence or sexual violence; 

b. To obtain medical care and/or mental health counseling for the employee or a family or household member; 

c. To obtain services from a victim-services organization; 

d. To make the employee’s home secure from the perpetrator

e. To seek legal assistance related to the violence.

3. All records related to such leave will be considered confidential.

4. This leave shall be noncumulative and shall be requested in advance except in the case of emergency.

5. If an employee elects to be on paid leave, he/she may request personal leave chargeable to sick leave provided that the employee is eligible to be on such leave or he/she may request annual (vacation) leave provided that the employee accrues annual leave and has an annual leave balance.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY : 230.22(2); 230.23(17), F.S. 

LAWS IMPLEMENTED: 230.2005(11); 231.39; 231.40, F.S. 

History: Adopted: January 14, 1999 

Revision Date(s): October 9, 2001; April 8, 2003; February 9, 2010 

Formerly: