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Board tables proposed revision to attendance policy after staff warn substitute costs top $600,000 annually
Summary
Trustees heard a proposed update to Policy 3.17 on employee attendance; HR director said unclear definitions in the 2016 policy have contributed to rising substitute and coverage costs—about $600,000 per year over the last three years—and the board referred the policy to committee for further review.
The board read proposed revisions to Policy 3.17 (attendance policy) and agreed to send the proposal to the Welfare & Public Relations committee for further review.
HR director Paula told trustees the district has struggled with employee absences and substitute coverage costs, saying, “for the last three years, class coverage and coverage with substitute teachers has come to the amount of $600,000 a year.” Trustees and staff said the current 2016 policy lacks clear definitions of excessive absence, which complicates enforcement and collective-bargaining interactions.
Board members asked for additional data (longer historical comparisons, percentage of staff affected, and building-level context) before voting on any policy change. Several trustees recommended committee review and additional administrative guidelines from human resources; the superintendent agreed to provide the current policy and administrative guidelines to the board before the next discussion.
The board voted to table the policy update and to have the Welfare & Public Relations committee work with HR to refine the proposal and present a recommendation at a subsequent meeting.
