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Board approves year-long leave of absence; defers sick-pay decision
Summary
The Rock Ridge board approved a teacher's requested leave of absence but debated whether approving it should automatically allow the use of sick days; the board approved the leave as presented (6—1) and left the sick-pay question to be resolved later with required documentation.
The school board voted 6—1 to approve a leave of absence requested in a letter presented to the board, but held off on a separate decision about whether the teacher should be permitted to use accrued sick days while on leave.
Several board members warned that attaching sick-pay to a leave could set a costly precedent. One director told colleagues that approving sick days with a leave "might be setting a precedent" and could amount to paying salary for a leave; she urged the board to separate the two decisions. Administration recommended approving the leave now and requiring proper documentation before allowing sick-pay, noting that family- and medical-leave rules and the teacher contract provide the legal and contractual framework and that the board is the entity that grants leaves.
The chair moved to approve the leave-of-absence request as presented in the teacher's letter; the board voted to accept the leave and to take the sick-pay portion up separately. Members also noted that final use of sick days would be contingent on documentation and any applicable legal/contractual criteria. The vote as recorded was 6 in favor, 1 opposed.
Next steps: administration will follow up with the employee to collect required documentation and will bring any sick-pay decisions or contract clarifications back to the board for review.
