All employees shall earn five workdays of paid local leave per school year in accordance with administrative regulations. Local leave is earned at a rate of one-half day for each 18 workdays. Local leave for professional personnel shall accumulate to a maximum of 30 workdays and shall accumulate to ten workdays for other employees. Local leave shall be used according to the terms and conditions of state sick leave accumulated before the 1995-96 school year. [See DEC(LEGAL)] Catastrophic Sick Leave Bank Program. Employees may wish to participate in the catastrophic sick leave bank program (CSLB) by donating one day of local sick leave for three consecutive years or up to three days at one time to become vested in the CSLB and to continue their membership. The contribution shall be made on the appropriate form by the staff member and will continue from year to year until canceled in writing by the bank member provided the bank member remains eligible. No staff member may contribute more than three of his or her local leave days per school year. The purpose of this program is to provide additional sick leave days to members of the bank in the event of a catastrophic illness or injury. The enrollment period for current employees and new employees hired prior to the opening of the school year shall begin July 1 of each school year and end on September 30 of that school year. New membership in the bank becomes effective October 1 of each school year. All new personnel employed after the enrollment period have 14 calendar days after beginning employment to choose to join the bank. Employees should contact the Office of Human Resources for details or refer to board policy DEC (LOCAL). Membership in the catastrophic leave bank shall be available on a voluntary basis for all full-time employees who are eligible for membership in the Texas Teacher Retirement System. To receive days from the bank, the requesting employee shall: 1. Be a member of the CSLB, 2. Have exhausted all accumulated state leave and local sick leave, and 3. Have a catastrophic illness or disability as defined in this policy. The CSLB may only be used for the contributor’s own personal illness or injury, not the care of a family member. Absences due to elective surgery, normal pregnancy or well-child care are not considered catastrophic illnesses for purposes of the catastrophic sick leave bank. An eligible employee may apply for up to 50 days from the sick leave bank. Days shall be granted only for absences from workdays and shall not be granted for holidays, vacation days, or other such days for which the member is not paid. Days may be used to supplement monies paid to a member who is receiving payments from the District’s disability insurance plan, but the combined benefits shall not exceed the member’s daily pay.
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