A.

Accrual

Vacation leave with pay is accrued by eligible instructional staff members at the rate of the employee’s current daily rate of pay.

Years of Service

Vacation leave for twelve (12) month personnel is established by the employee’s continuous and creditable years of service in the District under a contract for nine (9) months or longer. For the earning of vacation leave this policy will not be retroactive.

1.

zero (0) to five (5) years of service – thirteen (13) days per year

2.

over five (5) years to ten (10) years of service – sixteen and one-quarter (16 1/4) days per year

3.

over ten (10) years of service – nineteen and one half (19 1/2) days per year

Instructional staff members who fill established twelve (12) month positions on a part-time basis shall earn vacation leave in direct proportion to the time actually worked.

Vacation leave will be credited the last day of each month.

An instructional staff member who is in an active pay status shall earn vacation leave for each month in which s/he received pay for more than half the number of workdays in the month.

Vacation leave shall not accrue during any leave of absence; however, any accumulated vacation on record at the time of the granting of leave will remain on the records for future use by, or payment to the employee.

Unused vacation leave may be accrued; however, employees may carry forward no more than 480 hours of vacation to the next calendar year from December 31st each year.

Previous Service Credit

Those employees accepting a full-time twelve (12) month position with previous service with the District in a ten (10) month or eleven (11) month position shall be granted vacation credit for the years of previous service.

B.

Transfer

Vacation leave that is accrued at other government agencies cannot be transferred to the School Board for credit. However, educational personnel in Department of Children and Family Services residential care facilities who are employed by the Board under the provisions of F.S. 402.22(1)(d) may request, and the Board shall accept, a lump sum transfer of accumulated annual leave for such person employed by the Board in a position that is eligible to accrue vacation leave under policies of the Board.

C.

Use

Vacation leave can be taken only with the prior approval of the supervising administrator. Use of vacation leave shall not be approved before the time it is earned. Vacation leave shall be used in hourly increments.

Non-scheduled vacation leave may not be taken during the first six (6) months of employment. If an instructional staff member has not accrued a sufficient number of vacation days when scheduled vacation must be taken, the instructional staff member will take leave without pay. Instructional staff members may be required to encumber enough vacation days to cover scheduled vacation.

Vacation leave shall be scheduled in the workplace to permit minimum disruption of the operation of the school system.

Vacation leave may be used for purposes other than vacation. It is at the employee's discretion to use vacation leave in lieu of sick leave, to work elsewhere, or for other purposes.

D.

Terminal Pay

When an instructional staff member is released or resigns, transfers out of a vacation-earning position, or enters the Florida Retirement System DROP Program, s/he, or the employee’s beneficiary or estate at the employee’s death, or as otherwise provided by law, will be paid for vacation time accumulated through the end of the last full month worked, not including the last partial month worked. For vacation leave accrued after July 1, 2001, terminal pay may not exceed a maximum of sixty (60) days of actual payment.

This limit does not impair any contractual agreement established before July 1, 2001. For unused vacation leave accumulated before July 1, 2001, terminal payment shall be made pursuant to the Board’s policies, contracts, or rules that were in effect on June 30, 2001.