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Stoughton Area School board approves employee handbook changes, new pay rules for substitutes and leave payouts
Summary
The board approved revisions to the employee handbook, including sunsetting future national board-certification stipends, new sick-leave accrual rules for bus drivers, a $150 per-day payout for unused personal leave when employees hit the sick-leave cap, vacation-payout eligibility conditions, and pay changes for nonunion hires and elementary staff who cover classes.
The Stoughton Area School District Board of Education approved a set of revisions to the district employee handbook on a voice vote during its regular meeting, following a presentation by staff and discussion by the board.
Jessa, who presented the handbook changes on behalf of administration, recommended sunsetting the national board certification stipend for future hires while allowing current holdersincluding related certifications for speech-language staff and psychologiststo have the stipend rolled into their base salary permanently. "Our recommendation would be to sunset it for any future use," Jessa said, adding that the number of educators holding the national certification had declined to zero in the educator group for which it was intended.
The presentation detailed several operational changes aimed at clarifying accruals and payouts. For part-time bus drivers (excluding full-time 8-hour drivers), payroll software updates will allow drivers to start the year with three sick days and then accrue additional sick time automatically tied to shifts they pick up, with a cap of 60 hours in a fiscal year. Jessa said the change will better reflect hours worked and simplify administration.
On personal leave, the board approved a policy to pay out unused personal days at $150 per day for employees who have reached the districtestablished sick-leave cap so they neither lose those days nor feel compelled to use them unnecessarily. Vacation payout at resignation will be limited to employees who leave voluntarily, provide at least two weeksnotice, depart in good standing, and have been employed a minimum of three months, a change the administration said is intended to discourage short-notice departures after being front-loaded with vacation time.
The handbook also removes a July 1 eligibility restriction for nonunion raises; staff hired after January 1 will now be eligible for pay adjustments if they are employed on July 1, reflecting rapid market changes. The board approved a new modest stipend for elementary educators who, as a last resort, cover another teacher's class: $75 for a half day and $150 for a full day.
Board member Lisa Pew moved to approve the handbook changes "as presented," Allison Sorg seconded, and the motion carried on a voice vote. No roll-call votes were recorded for this motion in the public transcript.
The approved handbook changes will be implemented by administration and staff said they will provide follow-up as needed on operational details.
