School board adopts paid-leave blackout-days policy amid insurance, staffing concerns

School board adopts paid-leave blackout-days policy amid insurance, staffing concerns

The Laramie County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees voted to adopt a policy establishing blackout days for employee leave and clarified how voluntary resignations intersect with insurance coverage, the board said during its regular meeting.

Board members and staff said the policy is meant to set expectations about employee attendance during high-priority times, while staff warned the policy intersects with insurance rules for employees who give two-week notices.

Trustees spent extensive time debating the policy’s scope and exceptions. Several trustees urged that administrators retain authority to approve exceptions for preplanned events or extraordinary circumstances; other trustees said exceptions undermine the purpose of the blackout days. District staff warned that allowing employees to use two-week notice periods to remain on district insurance could create coverage disputes with the insurer.

“Technically for insurance purposes we have to drop them in March. We can't carry them through April,” a district staff member said, describing an example in which an employee whose last insured day falls in March could not be carried into the next month for insurance purposes if the two-week notice extends into that month. The staff member said the district’s insurance carrier had warned the district about potential claim denials if an employee’s last day is misaligned with insurer records.

Board discussion focused on three practical concerns: (1) whether the blackout days should be absolute or allow administrator-approved exceptions for preapproved travel or emergencies; (2) the cost to the district of paying employees during a two-week notice while also paying substitute coverage and insuring the same position; and (3) the district’s obligation to follow insurer reporting rules to avoid denied claims. Several trustees recommended adding language to permit supervisor or administrator waivers in defined circumstances; other trustees opposed broad exceptions.

After discussion, the board voted to adopt the policy. The roll call recorded two nays; the final yes tally was not specified in the transcript.

The policy language and any implementing administrative procedures will be used by principals and human-resources staff to manage staffing coverage and leave approvals going forward. Trustees said they expect administrators to monitor operational impacts and report back if the blackout-days rule creates practical staffing shortages or unexpected insurance exposures.

The board’s discussion and vote on this policy occurred during the regular meeting's policy section; public comment and staff explanations preceded the final vote.