FILE:  GBRHA-R

Cf:  GBRHA

 

SABBATICAL LEAVE REGULATIONS

 

 

Sabbatical Leave:  Teaching personnel shall include any person employed by the Washington Parish School Board who holds a valid teaching certificate issued by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and any social worker, school counselor, school nurse, audiologist, educational diagnostician, speech-language pathologist, or school psychologist employed by the Board who holds the appropriate valid professional ancillary certificate issued by the Louisiana Department of Education.

 

Eligibility:  Any member of the teaching staff who has completed twelve (12) or more consecutive semesters in the Washington Parish school's may apply for a Sabbatical Leave of Absence of two (2) semesters' duration immediately following such period of service.  Any member of the teaching staff who has completed six (6) or more consecutive semesters in the Washington Parish public schools may apply for a Sabbatical Leave of Absence of one (1) semester's duration immediately following such period of service.

 

Purpose:  Applications for a Sabbatical Leave of Absence will be considered under the following options:

 

OPTION 1.  PROFESSIONAL OR CULTURAL IMPROVEMENT

 

Alternate A:   During each semester pursue a course of study of not less than fifteen (15) weeks in an accredited institution of higher learning earning at least nine (9) undergraduate credits, provided such hours directly improve the persons skills and knowledge as a teacher or six (6) graduate credits.  If less than fifteen (15) weeks duration, the course of study must be supplemented under Alternate B or C to total fifteen (15) weeks.

 

Alternate B:   During each semester pursue a program of independent study, research, authorship or investigation which involves an amount of work equivalent to Alternate A.

 

Alternate C:   During each semester engage in travel which is so planned as to be definite educational value.  This will be granted when such cultural travel is sponsored by an accredited college or university and credits are earned.

 

OPTION 2.  SABBATICAL MEDICAL LEAVE

 

This option is provided to permit a Leave of Absence for the express purpose of restoration of health, and requires certification by at least one (1) physician, subject to review to ascertain medical necessity.

 

Procedure for Application:

 

  1. Application must be submitted, in writing, to the Superintendent on a form provided by the Personnel Office.

  2. Applications for leave must be made sixty (60) days preceding the semester of the school year for which leave is requested.

  3. Applicants shall be notified by the Superintendent within sixty (60) days after the final date for filing the application, stating whether the application has been granted or rejected.  When the application is for rest and recuperation, the notification shall be within thirty (30) days after date of filing.  If the application is rejected, the reasons therefor shall be specified.

  4. Applicants for Sabbatical Leave may be interviewed by the Personnel Officer in order to determine how the applicant proposes to use the Leave of Absence and shall report on the application his/her findings and recommendations.

 

Applicant's Obligations:

 

  1. Employees on Sabbatical Leave shall transmit to the Superintendent within thirty (30) days after the beginning of each semester of such leave a written report of approximately one hundred (100) words, or the manner in which such leave has been spent, and within thirty (30) days after the end of such leave, a written report of approximately two-hundred-fifty (250) words of the manner in which such leave has been spent.

  2. When the employee is attending an institution of higher learning, he/she shall also indicate in the initial report the institution being attended and the number of credit hours being taken.  The final report shall be accompanied by official evidence that the number of credit hours required herein has been taken at the institution specified.  Service on Sabbatical Leave shall count as active service for retirement, provided contributions to the system are made.  A person on Sabbatical Leave shall be returned to the same or equivalent position at the beginning of the following semester.

 

Penalties:  If the Superintendent determines that a teacher on Sabbatical Leave is not fulfilling the purpose for which the leave was granted, he/she may terminate the Sabbatical Leave as of the day of its abuse after giving the teacher an opportunity to be heard.  If the employee is determined to have willfully violated sabbatical leave provisions, he/she is subject to disciplinary action.

 

Compensation:  Each teacher, as defined in the above section, who is granted Sabbatical Leave shall be paid compensation at the rate of sixty-five percent (65%) of the employee's daily rate of pay at the time sabbatical leave is set to begin.

 

Revised:  September, 2004

Revised:  October 11, 2012

Revised:  December 6, 2021

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง11:755, 17:1170, 17:1171, 17:1172, 17:1173, 17:1174, 17:1175, 17:1176, 17:1177, 17:1178, 17:1179, 17:1180, 17:1181, 17:1182, 17:1183, 17:1184, 17:1185, 17:1187

Board minutes, 4-13-05, 10-11-12, 12-6-21

 

Washington Parish School Board