A. Sick Leave
    1.  All full time employees shall be entitled to ten (10) sick leave days each year.  Unused sick leave days shall be accumulated from year to year with a maximum of 180 days.
    2.  Each employee shall be provided a written account of all accumulated sick days available to him/her by September 30th of each year of the contract.
    3.  Sick leave is occasioned by the absence of an individual from duty because of illness, disability or injury.  Employees who find it necessary to be absent must communicate with their principal as early as possible to facilitate alternative arrangements which will need to be made due to their absence.
     [a]  In the event of immediate family illness or emergency, once all personal days have been taken, an employee may take up to an additional five (5) days  from the block of 10 sick days granted each year.  The Schools reserve the right to require appropriate documentation in regard to such use.
    4.  A certificate from the employee's doctor may be required prior to payment of sick leave  where a teacher is absent for three (3) consecutive days, absent for three (3) days in any calendar week, or where an absence is part of a pattern of abuse or is indicative of a health problem.
[a] Any non-renewed employee who has two (2) days absence within one calendar week following notice of non-renewal shall be required to provide medical documentation in regard thereto in order to be paid.
    5.  If an employee transfers to a different School, as a full-time employee, he/she shall maintain all accumulated and unused sick days which were available to him/her at the time of transfer.
    6.  Exclusively upon retirement under this Agreement, employees covered hereunder shall be paid for unused accumulated sick leave days, up to a maximum of 160 days as follows:
at age 55 and after 20 years of service: $40 per day
at age 55 and after 25 years of service: $45 per day.
    If a teacher dies while still employed as a teacher but who otherwise meets the criteria for sick-day redemption, the Schools shall pay to the estate of that teacher for any unused sick days as outlined above.
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B. Bereavement Leave
    1.  All employees shall be granted paid time off from three (3) days up to a maximum of six (6) working days, as circumstances require, immediately following the date of death of members of the employee's immediate family.  The immediate family shall be defined as husband, wife, child, father, mother, brother or sister.
    2.  In the event of death of employee's grandparents, grand-child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in law, or anyone living in the employee's home, two working days with pay shall be granted.
    3.  All employees shall be granted one (1) additional bereavement day per year for the death of someone not mentioned above.  The day will be subtracted from the employee's accumulated sick leave days.
    4.  In all cases, to be eligible for such leave, the employee must give notice of absence to his/her principal and the principal has the right to request proof of the deceased's relationship to the employee.
    5.  An employee shall not be entitled to bereavement leave if at the time of death in the family, the employee is on vacation, leave, or otherwise absent from work under any other provision of his/her employment contract.
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C. Personal Leave
     1.  All employees shall be entitled to receive up to three (3) personal days with full pay per year for the purpose of transacting or attending to personal, legal, religious or business matters which require absence during working hours.  No more than one (1) personal day may be used before or after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter breaks in order to extend vacations.
    2.  In the case of serious need, one additional sick leave day from the block of ten days granted each school year may be used.
    3.  As a condition of payment, it is mandatory that at least five (5) calendar days notice of intention to take a personal day be given to the principal except in an emergency.
    4.  The Schools may require additional information from the employee concerning the nature of the matter to insure that the time requested properly falls within the terms of this paragraph.
    5.  Personal days shall not accumulate from year to year.
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D. Professional Leave
    1.  Each employee shall have an opportunity to attend one (1) professional day during the school year subject to the prior approval of the school principal.  This professional day must be related to the teacher's classroom responsibilities.  The employee shall make written application to the principal according to published guidelines.  Principals may grant other professional days at their discretion.
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E. Disability Leave
    1. The Schools shall provide a Long Term Disability Plan in accordance with the attached exhibit [ Long Term Disability Plan ].
    2. The Schools shall not pay disability leave pay during the summer months when schools are not in session.
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F. Maternity Leave
    1.  In the event an employee desires a child bearing leave of absence in anticipation of, and prior to, any disability or inability to work due to her pregnancy related condition, she shall notify the Local Administrator in writing of her intent to take child bearing leave of absence.  The notice must contain information sufficient to verify the pregnancy including the expected date of delivery.  The notice must be given at least sixty (60) days prior to the date the employee wishes to commence said leave except in case of emergency.  Upon receipt of said notice, the Local Administrator shall confirm in writing the child bearing leave of absence.

 [a]  Sick leave and the Long Term Disability Plan as outlined above may be utilized by an employee on a child bearing leave upon certification by the employee's attending physician of the employee's disability by reason of pregnancy or pregnancy related conditions during the period of the child bearing leave of absence.  All portions of the child bearing leave shall be unpaid except for the period of disability.
 [b]  The child bearing leave of absence shall extend for a period of one year from the date when the leave commenced, or, at the option of the employee, for a shorter period of time.  The employee shall notify the Local Administrator in writing by June 1 if she plans to return by September 1  or November 15 if she plans to return for the second semester.
 [c]  When the requested date of return substantially interferes with the continuity of instruction, then the Local Administrator may adjust those dates to a more suitable time.  The Union shall be notified in writing concerning any adjustment of said dates.  An employee returning from such leave shall return to the same school and same department which she left without loss of Bargaining Unit or School Seniority as previously acquired.  In the absence of such a position, the employee shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Union and the superintendent without loss of Bargaining Unit or School Seniority as previously acquired.
[d]  The substitute teacher hired as a replacement shall be notified at the time of employment with this clearly stated on the employee's contract.

G. Child Rearing Leave
    1.  An employee upon request may be granted up to one year leave of absence without pay for child rearing.  Notice must be given sixty (60) calendar days prior to the date he/she wishes to commence such leave, except in emergency.  The commencement of the leave and the teacher's return, and all other aspects of the leave shall be governed by the provisions for unpaid leaves of absence.
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H. Adoption Leave
    1.  In the event that an employee adopts a child, he or she shall apply to the Local Administrator at least thirty (30) days prior to the adoption except in cases of emergency for an adoption leave of absence which shall be for one (1) year following the date of adoption, but may, at the option of the employee, be for a shorter period of time.  The office shall confirm in writing the adoption leave of absence.  All restrictions and benefits applicable to the child bearing leave shall be in effect during the adoption leave.
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I. Unpaid Leave of Absence
    1. An approved leave of absence without pay for a period not to exceed one (1) year may be granted to an employee who has received tenure.
          [a]  Such leave may include, but not be limited to, academic and curriculum leave.
    2. Requests for such leave shall be made in writing to the Local Administrator.  Leave of absence shall be granted at the discretion of the Local Administrator.
    3. A leave of absence may only begin on the first day of the school year or on the first day of the second semester.  An employee may return from leave only on the first day of the school year or the first day of the second semester, but in no event more than one year from the commencement of his/her leave.
    4. An employee seeking to return on September 1st must notify the Local Administrator no later than April 30th.  An employee seeking to return on the first day of the second semester must notify the Local Administrator by November 15th.
    5. An employee applying for a full year's leave of absence may return earlier, provided he/she returns at the beginning of the school year or the second semester and timely advises the Local Administrator.
    6. All applications for a leave of absence must be submitted by the employee to the Local Administrator no less than sixty (60) calendar days prior to the requested date of commencement of the leave.
    7. While on leave of absence, an employee shall not continue to accrue benefits.  However, benefits already accrued shall not be lost, and upon return from leave shall be restored to him/her.
    8. Upon return from leave, an employee shall be placed at the salary step following that step which he/she was on while last working.
    9. Upon return from leave, an employee shall return to the same school and the same department which he/she left without loss of system or school seniority as previously acquired.  In the absence of such a position, the employee shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Union and the Local Administrator without loss of Bargaining Unit or School seniority as previously acquired.
   10. If the teacher has tenure prior to the commencement of the leave of absence, upon his/her return from the leave, such tenure shall continue.
   11. A leave of absence shall not be granted simply to allow a teacher to work for another employer during such leave period.  If the purpose of the requested leave is appropriate, such as continuing education, and the teacher anticipates that he/she may work as part of the acceptable reason for leave, the teacher must so advise the Local Administrator.  If an employee fails to obtain advance approval to work during the leave of absence as set out above, or if an employee falsifies his reasons for such a leave, such employee shall be subject to immediate termination at the discretion of the Local Administrator.
   12.  Employees who are on approved unpaid leaves as provided in this agreement, shall have the option of continuing the medical health plan.  The full cost of the plan will be borne by the employee.
   13. The substitute teacher hired as a replacement for a teacher on an approved leave of absence shall be notified at the time of employment with this clearly stated on the employee's contract.
   14. Where applicable, the New Jersey Family Leave Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 shall prevail.
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J. Extended Leave
    1. Due to accident or illness and after a period equal to all sick leave days plus twenty-six [26] weeks during the school year have been exhausted, it may be necessary for an employee to be placed on extended unpaid leave.  The employee seeking such leave will supply the necessary medical verification, as well as the expected length of time for the leave, to the Local Administrator.  The extended leave will be granted for up to one year.

 [a]  When the requested date of return substantially interferes with the continuity of instruction, then the Local Administrator may adjust those dates to a more suitable time.  The Union shall be notified in writing concerning any adjustment of such a date.  An employee
returning from such leave shall return to the same school and same department which he/she left without loss of Bargaining Unit or School seniority as previously acquired.  In the absence of such a position, the employee shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Union and the superintendent without loss of Bargaining Unit or School Seniority as previously acquired.
[b]  The substitute teacher hired as a replacement for a teacher on an extended leave shall be notified at the time of employment with this clearly stated on the employee's contract.
[c]  An employee on an extended leave shall have the option to continue the medical health plan.  The full cost of the plan will be borne by the employee.

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