All staff members not otherwise covered by the terms of a currently-valid negotiated agreement of this District shall be entitled to the same leave benefits provided in the master agreement with the MSD Decatur Township.

All requests for unpaid leaves of absence by professional staff members shall be presented to the School Board for approval.

The Board shall grant a leave of absence in addition to a regular vacation period without loss of pay or time to any staff member who is a member of the Indiana National Guard, a reserve component of the U.S. forces, or a retired member of the naval, air, or ground forces of the United States and is on training duty for the State by order of the Governor or under the order of the reserve-component authority for consecutive or nonconsecutive periods not to exceed a total of fifteen (15) days in any calendar year. The staff member's vacation benefits, if any, will not be affected by this type of leave.

A professional staff member who has been employed for at least twelve (12) months and is the spouse, parent, grandparent, or sibling of a person who is ordered to active duty is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence during one (1) or more of the following periods:

The staff member must have worked at least 1,500 hours during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the day the leave begins.

Any professional staff member selected by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as teacher of the year and who agrees to be "ambassador for education" shall be granted a one (1) year professional leave to serve as ambassador during the ambassador's term. During the term of the leave, the District shall continue to provide the professional staff member all benefits of employment with the District other than salary. Following the term of the leave, the professional staff member may return to the District to the same or a comparable position as the staff member held prior to the leave without loss of accrued benefits or seniority.

Any professional staff member granted a leave of absence by the Board shall be considered to have terminated all work with the School District until the completion of the leave. Exceptions may be made by the Superintendent in cases where the best interest of the District might be served.

I.C. 10-16-7-1 et seq., 10-17-4, 20-20-4-1, 22-2-13
38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act)

Revised 2/12/08