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Provo School District to align paid parental and postpartum leave with new state law
Summary
District staff presented Procedure 12 to align Policy 5400 with state law effective July 1, 2025, providing paid postpartum and parental leave (up to six paid weeks for birthing employees) and recommending posting the procedure for feedback and a board second reading.
Provo City School District staff told the Board of Education study session that Procedure 12 to Policy 5400 will align district leave rules with a new state law taking effect July 1, 2025, and will provide paid postpartum and parental leave.
The presenting staff member said the procedure gives definitions for postpartum leave (for employees recovering from childbirth) and parental leave and clarifies that paid postpartum plus parental leave can total up to six weeks of paid time for an eligible birthing employee (three weeks postpartum and three weeks parental leave). The presentation noted a non-birthing parent is eligible for three weeks of parental leave. “This leave is additional to and is not charged against any other type of paid leave the employee has,” the presenter said.
District staff emphasized how the paid leave interacts with federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time: the paid six weeks described in the procedure is part of the same overall FMLA timeline, and employees may take additional unpaid FMLA leave beyond the paid portion. The presenter said the change removes the prior requirement that employees first exhaust accrued leave; instead the district will prorate paid leave to reflect each employee’s full‑time equivalent hours.
Board members asked clarifying questions about prorating for partial‑time employees and whether the district’s practice would change; staff said the procedure replaces older, confusing language and that paid leave will be calculated based on an employee’s scheduled hours. Board members also discussed whether to present the procedure for public feedback or to place it on an agenda for a formal vote as a symbol of board support. One board member said posting it on the website for feedback would be acceptable; another said a vote would signal the board’s priority.
Staff reported employee associations had reviewed the procedure with no objections. The recommendation from staff was to post the procedure on the district website for public feedback and bring it back for a second reading; staff suggested the policy committee could decide whether to schedule a formal board vote at the March 28 all‑day meeting or at an April meeting.
The board did not take a formal vote during the study session. Staff will post the procedure for public comment and return with a second‑reading recommendation.
