The board shall determine the amount of vacation, holidays and personal leave that will be allowed on an annual basis for support personnel.

Support personnel who work twelve (12) months per year and who have worked one (1) to six (6) continuous years, unless the employee’s contract indicates otherwise, will receive twelve (12) days of vacation each year.  Support personnel who have worked seven (7) to fifteen (15) continuous years will receive eighteen (18) days of paid vacation.  Support personnel who have worked sixteen (16) or more continuous years, will receive twenty-four (24) days of vacation.  Support employees who leave prior to the end of their contract will receive their pro rata share of vacation for the year.

The vacation may be taken any time during the school year when the vacation will not disrupt the operation of the school district.  The employee must submit a vacation request to the superintendent/designee, who shall be responsible for determining whether the request will disrupt the operation of the school district.

Support personnel, other than summer employees, will be allowed a maximum of two (2) days of personal business leave to accomplish personal business that cannot be conducted outside the work day.  The employee must, whenever possible, submit a personal leave request, stating the reason for the leave three (3) days prior to the leave day.  Except in cases of serious emergency, this leave may be denied if it falls on the day before or the day after a holiday or vacation, it falls on a special day when services would be necessary, it would cause undue interruption to the educational program or to a program demanding the employee’s services to the department, or other reasons deemed relevant by the superintendent/designee.  It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent/designee to grant personal leave.

Support personnel will be allowed ten (10) paid holidays, if the holidays fall on a regular working day.  The ten (10) holidays shall be July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Friday, Day before Christmas, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day.

Support personnel will be paid only for the hours they would have been scheduled for the day.  Vacation shall not be accrued from year to year without a prior arrangement with the superintendent/designee.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent/designee to make a recommendation to the board annually on vacation and personal leave for support personnel.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§4.1 (22), 20.9, 31.1-.9, 33.1 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.01  Licensed Personnel Vacations – Holidays – Personal Leave

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  4-08-24              
Revised:  2-10-14

Support personnel will be allowed to take a maximum of four (4) days family illness leave per school year.  Family shall be defined as spouse, child, father, mother, sister, or brother.

Requests for family illness leave shall be made to the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.  The superintendent has the discretion to grant additional family illness leave.  In making this determination, the superintendent shall consider the financial position of the school district, the effect of the support employee’s absence on the educational program and the operations of the school district, and other factors the principal deems relevant.

Support personnel who wish additional family illness leave may be required to pay the costs of substitute personnel when necessary to carry out their duties.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§20.9, 279.8 (1991)

Cross Reference:  403.10  Family and Medical Leave
                                      409.03  Licensed Personnel Family Illness Leave
                                      414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  4-08-24              
Revised:  7-15-02

Support personnel shall be granted ten (10) days of sick leave in their first (1^st) year of employment.  Each year thereafter, one (1) additional day of sick leave will be granted to the employees up to a maximum of fifteen (15) days.  “Day” is defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of the employee.  A new employee shall report for work at least one (1) full work day prior to receiving sick leave benefits.  A returning employee will be granted the appropriate number of days at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Unused sick leave may be accumulated from year to year up to a maximum of 120 days for support personnel.

Should the personal illness occur after or extend beyond the accumulated allowance, the employee may request a leave of absence without pay.

Evidence may be required regarding the mental or physical health of the employee when the administration has a concern for the employee’s health.  Evidence may also be required to confirm the employee’s illness, the need for the illness leave, the employee’s ability to return to work, and the employee’s capability to perform the duties of the employee’s position.  It shall be within the discretion of the board and the superintendent to determine the type and amount of evidence necessary.

When an illness leave will be greater than five (5) consecutive days, the employee shall comply with board policy on extended illness leave.

If an employee is eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, the employee shall contact the board secretary to implement these benefits.

Legal Reference:  Whitney v Rural Ind. Sch. Dist. 232 la. 61, 4 N.W.2d 394 (1942)
                                      Iowa Code Chapter 20, §§85.33, .34, .38(3), 279.40 (1991)
                                      1952 Op. Att’y Gen. 91
                                      1972 Op. Att’y Gen. 177, 353
                                      1980 Op. Att’y Gen. 605

Cross Reference:  409.04  Licensed Personnel Illness/Disability Leave
                                      414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  4-08-24              
Revised:             

Support personnel advised of a health condition which may require absence for more than five (5) days, with “day” being defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of the employee, shall inform the superintendent/designee upon learning of the condition to allow arrangements to be made for an effective transition of responsibilities.

Evidence may be required about the mental or physical status of the support employee to confirm the need for an illness leave of absence, the employee’s illness, and the ability of the employee to continue work until the date on which the employee goes on leave.

Employees on extended sick leave should report for work as soon as they are capable of performing their duties.  Upon returning to work, the employee must present medical evidence that the employee is physically capable of returning to and performing the duties required at work.

Pay provisions for extended illness will be coordinated with sick leave.  If the illness extends beyond the employee’s accumulated sick leave, the employee may request a leave of absence without pay.  At any time, the school district may require additional statements from the support employee’s physician or other evidence as may be requested by the school district.  It will be within the discretion of the board or superintendent/designee to determine the type and amount of evidence necessary.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code Chapter 20, §§85.33, .34, .38(3), 279.40 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.5    Licensed Personnel Extended Illness Leave

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:  8-14-95

The board realizes an emergency may arise which would necessitate a support employee’s absence from work which is not covered by another form of leave of absence.  Such leave shall be called emergency leave.

Emergency leave must be unforeseen and beyond the control of the employee.  The superintendent/designee shall have the discretion to grant emergency leave.  The superintendent/designee shall determine whether such leave shall be paid leave or unpaid leave.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§20.9, 279.8 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.6    Licensed Personnel Emergency Leave
                                       414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:  8-14-95

In the event of a death, bereavement leave may be granted to a support employee.  Bereavement leave granted will be for a maximum of six (6) days per year, with “day” being defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of the employee.

It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent to determine the number of bereavement leave days granted for any given occurrence.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§20.9, 279.8 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.7    Licensed Personnel Bereavement Leave
                                       414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-10-20              
Revised:             

The board will provide a leave of absence to support personnel to run for elective public office.  The superintendent shall grant a support employee a leave of absence to campaign as a candidate for any elective public office as unpaid leave.

The support employee will be entitled to one (1) period of leave to run for elective public office, and the leave may commence any time within thirty (30) days of a contested primary, special, or general election and continue until the day following the election.

The request for leave must be in writing to the superintendent of schools at least thirty (30) days prior to the starting date of the requested leave.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code Chapter 55 (1991)
                                       570 Iowa Admin. Code 14.13

Cross Reference:  409.8    Licensed Personnel Political Leave
                                       414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:             

The board will allow support personnel to be excused for jury duty.  Support personnel will continue to receive full salary compensation less the amount of money paid to the employee for such jury duty.

When the support employee is dismissed from jury duty, the employee shall report to the superintendent.  The employee is required to perform the employee’s duties remaining to be completed that day.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code Chapters 607, 608, and 609, §20.9 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.9    Licensed Personnel Jury Duty Leave
                                      414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:             

The board recognizes support personnel may be called to participate in the armed forces, including the National Guard.  If a support employee is called to serve in the armed forces, the employee shall have a leave of absence for military service until the military service is completed.

The leave shall be without loss of status or efficiency rating, and without loss of pay during the first thirty (30) days of the leave.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code Chapter 20, §29A.28 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.10  Licensed Personnel Military Service Leave
                                      414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:             

Unpaid leave may be used to excuse an involuntary absence not provided for in other leave policies.  Unpaid leave for support personnel must be authorized by the superintendent/designee.  Whenever possible, support personnel shall make a written request for unpaid leave ten (10) days prior to the beginning date of the requested leave.  If the leave is granted, the deduction in salary shall be made unless they are waived specifically by the superintendent/designee.

The superintendent/designee shall have complete discretion to grant or deny the requested unpaid leave.  In making this determination, the superintendent/designee shall consider the effect of the employee’s absence on the educational program and school district operations, their length of service, previous record of absence, the reason for the requested absence and any other factors the superintendent/designee believes are relevant in making this determination.

If unpaid leave is granted, the duration of the leave period shall be coordinated with the scheduling of the educational program whenever possible, to minimize the disruption of the educational program and school district operations.

Legal Reference:  26 U.S.C. §162
                                      Iowa Code §§20.9, 279.8 (1991)

Cross Reference:  409.11  Licensed Personnel Unpaid Leave
                                      414        Support Personnel Vacations and Leaves of Absence

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:  8-14-95

Professional purposes leave may be granted to support employees for the purpose of attending meetings and conferences directly related to their assignments.  Application for the leave must be presented ten (10) days prior to the meeting or conference.

It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent/designee to grant professional purposes leave.  The leave may be denied on the day before or after a vacation or holiday, on special days when services are needed, when it would cause undue interruption of school business, or for other reasons deemed relevant by the superintendent/designee.

Cross Reference:  409.2    Licensed Personnel Professional Purposes Leave

Approved:  3-31-92              
Reviewed:  2-13-23              
Revised:  8-14-95