Types of Leave

• Provide medical certification from a qualified health care provider supporting the need for leave due to a serious health condition affecting the employee or an immediate family member:
  • Spouse
  • Child (does not include children over the age of 18 unless they are incapable of self-care due to a physical or mental disability
  • Parent (does not include "in-law"
• Provide second or third medical opinions and periodic re-certification for the need for leave, when requested.
   
• Provide periodic reports during the leave regarding the status and intent to return to work.
   
• Provide medical certification from a qualified health care provider of the employee's ability to return to work at the conclusion of the leave.
   
• Provide medical certification of the need for the family military leave.

• The birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.
   
• To bond with a child (leave must be taken within 1 year of the child's birth or placement.
   
• To care for the employee's spouse, child, or parent (does not include in-law) who has a qualifying serious health condition. 
   
• For the employee's own qualifying serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee's job.
   
• For qualifying exigencies related to the foreign deployment of a military member who is the employee's spouse, child or parent.

• This leave applies to employees who are members of the state military forces, a reserve component of the armed forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized urban search and rescue team, and are entitled to military leave for authorized training or duty ordered or authorized by proper authority. Employees who are called to state active duty by the governor or another appropriate authority in response to a disaster are also entitled to this leave.

• Authorized military order is required.

• For long-term military duty, federal law generally allows up to 5 years of unpaid leave, during which time reemployment in the same or similar position is required upon discharge from military duty.

• Compensation is without pay except to the extent that employee has local personal, state personal leave, and/or District local sick leave available.
   
• If an employee who has been employed by the District for one year has insufficient available paid leave to cover the entire leave of absence, the District shall grant additional paid leave for this purpose, to a maximum of 20 consecutive leave days, subject to deduction of the daily rate of a substitute for the employee's position for each additional leave day taken, whether or not a substitute is employed.
   
• Employee shall report all leave taken to the automated absence reporting system as well as notify the immediate supervisor, or appropriate designee.
   
• Employees are encouraged to wait until their doctor takes them off work, or the baby is born, whichever occurs first, before completing and submitting the required paperwork to Leaves and ADA Management.

• It may not be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule. 
   
• Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated the same as any other temporary disability.
   
• Disabilities caused by or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth and recovery therefore shall be treated the same as any other disability.

The Superintendent or designee may also consider a yearlong leave of absence for an employee who has completed fewer than three years of service.

This leave may be granted only if the employee is not eligible for any other leave. This leave may be granted for any of the following reasons except for the pursuit of gainful employment.:

• Serious illness of the employee.
   
• Serious illness of a member of the employee's immediate family.
   
• Child care.
   
• Personal Hardship, for which facts justifying the request have been submitted.
   
• For study at an institution of higher learning, for which verification of acceptance has been submitted.
   
• Extensive travel may be considered of equal educational value to training or research at an institution of higher learning.
   
• For special service related to education at an approved college or university, the Texas Education Agency or another governmental agency, exchange teaching, recognized professional organization, the Peace Corps, the Job Corps, or an elective office.

All applications for the beginning of the following school year must be made in writing to Leaves and ADA Management - Employee Benefits Department by May 1. Exceptions may be granted in cases of emergencies or extenuating circumstances after the May 1 deadline, by written request to Leaves and ADA Management - Employee Benefits Department at the earliest practical time.

Leaves of absence will not be granted more often than once in seven years, except on approval of the Superintendent.