Workshop: Proposed 2025–26 handbooks standardize leaves, add unpaid-leave options and tighten inclement-weather pay

District human-resources staff outlined proposed changes to the 2025–26 employee handbooks at a March 10 workshop, seeking board input and explaining the rationale for standardizing language across employee groups.

Mrs. Lombardo, district staff member leading the presentation, told the board the updates aim to make rules consistent across four handbooks and to add clarity and some expanded leave options. Key changes include a reorganization of absence and leave sections into paid leave, FMLA/ADA, and unpaid leave; clearer definitions of bereavement leave and appeal rights; and a new two-tier unpaid personal leave provision.

Under the proposed unpaid-leave language, staff would be able to request unpaid personal leaves of up to 30 consecutive calendar days and a separate category for leaves of 31 or more calendar days. The shorter leave requires an eight-week notification while the 31-days-or-more leave requires a four-week notification, per the language presented. Requests for longer unpaid leaves must be submitted in writing to the superintendent for consideration.

The handbooks would also standardize the shared/donated leave program by adding a sentence that donated leave must be used in the fiscal year in which it is donated to avoid creating leave that cannot be drawn from current employees.

Other personnel-policy changes discussed in detail: - Volunteer/transfer and compensation: Teacher voluntary transfer eligibility would decrease from five years of service to three years, allowing newer teachers to apply for voluntary transfers earlier in their careers. The master’s-degree payment was clarified as a $2,000 annual stipend (not part of base salary); Ph.D. compensation and national-board pay remain addressed where appropriate. - Work day and professional hours: The teacher handbook clarifies a minimum eight-hour workday, with staff expected to be on duty no later than 15 minutes before the school day begins and to remain at least 15 minutes after it ends, and to extend hours as needed for professional responsibilities (IEPs, meetings, open houses). - Benefits administration: The district’s transition to BenTech for online benefits enrollment was noted; employees must verify elections and corrections must be completed by Dec. 31 of the plan year. The wellness exam requirement for medical plan participation was reiterated as calendar-year based. - Cash-in-lieu change: The maintenance-of-insurability (cash-in-lieu) option would exclude employees who are dependents on another employee’s district family medical plan (for example, adult children on a parent’s plan) to close a loophole where the district paid both the parental premium and cash-in-lieu to the dependent.

Custodial and instructional-assistant-specific changes were also explained: - Physical fitness and introductory period: The district will reintroduce or require pre-employment physical-fitness examinations for certain physically demanding positions (custodial, some instructional assistants) and implement a 90-calendar-day introductory period for new hires in those groups. Extended absences during that period extend the introductory period by the absence length. - Inclement-weather pay: The proposed handbook language removes an historical extra-day pay or extra vacation-day option for custodial and maintenance staff who work on school cancellation days; those employees will continue to be paid for hours worked (including overtime when applicable) but will not receive a second paid day off. The district noted that secretaries and interpreters typically work from home on snow days to support communications and have the option to use a personal or vacation day instead if they prefer not to work. - Overtime cleanup: A prior provision that paid a $1-per-hour additional sum during regular hours for certain maintenance employees in snow operations was removed as redundant with existing overtime and shift-differential arrangements.

Board members asked clarifying questions. One member suggested considering less prescriptive bereavement language to accommodate close relationships not captured by enumerated kin categories; staff noted denial of bereavement leave may be appealed to the superintendent. Another member asked staff to refine language about parent–teacher conference offset days for staff who work across multiple buildings (for example, a specialist who covers both elementary and high school schedules), and staff agreed to revisit that wording for clarity.

Mrs. Lombardo said the handbook revisions are intended to take effect July 1, 2025, and that staff will continue to refine text and consult legal counsel and insurance partners where necessary. The workshop was discussion-only; no board votes were taken.