Revisions to Lynchburg City Schools’ sick leave policy have been put on hold while officials gather more information.
The school board decided not to take action on proposed revisions that would have changed sick leave from being advanced annually to being accrued monthly.
Some board members questioned how the policy would impact new teachers. In the division, sick leave is carried over from year to year. A veteran teacher with plenty of sick days could be ill at the beginning of the year without issue, but the proposed change might be a problem for those with less experience.
“The hit is for new teachers because they don’t have the buildup yet,” board member Albert Billingsly said.
Division officials had previously said they thought the change would cause staff members to use fewer sick days. In some circumstances employees have used all the leave advanced to them, but quit before the end of the year and the time is not earned, according to a division memo.
At the meeting, board members said they started looking at changes to the policy after they realized the division spent $800,000 in substitute teacher costs last year.
Board member Darin Gerdes — who, along with several other board members, said he received feedback from teachers concerned about the policy — asked what would happen if a teacher without any accrued sick leave needed to be out of school at the start of the year. Deputy Superintendent Roger Roberts said the employee’s pay would be docked for missed time.
“If you do pass this policy is someone is going to get docked or come to work? They are going to come to work. It’s going to be an attempt at better teacher attendance,” Roberts said, adding it likely would not affect many educators, later adding, “Teachers come sick more often than not because they’re dedicated.”
Officials explained there are several options for teachers who must miss significant sick time, including using the “sick bank.” Even with that program though, employees must be out for 30 days before they would be eligible for assistance.
Talks about the rigidity of that policy gave way to a larger discussion about sick leave, causing board members not to act.
“I would move we table this issue indefinitely,” board member Leslie Faircloth said. “I don’t think this board has full enough comprehension to act tonight. It’s a very complex policy.”
The board asked school administration to study the leave policies of neighboring divisions and agreed to further discussion in the future.
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