Instructional staff may apply for leave to teach in a charter school. The School Board will not require resignation of teachers desiring to teach in a charter school. Teachers granted such leave by the Board are not required to be on a continuing contract or professional service contract and are not subject to the seven (7) continuous years’ service requirement for personal leave without pay.

The initial request for charter leave must be submitted to the Human Resource Services Division no later than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the effective date of the leave.

The value of terminal leave and sick leave of employees taking charter school leave shall be calculated and fixed as of the time the employee begins the leave. Under no circumstances will the Board make any additional contributions or otherwise increase the value of such benefits after the employee begins a charter school leave.

Employees electing to terminate their employment during charter school leave and receive terminal pay and sick leave shall be compensated at the amount calculated and fixed as of the time leave began.

Charter school leave shall further be subject to the terms and conditions contained in the appropriate collective bargaining agreement, the applicable charter school contract entered into between a charter school and the Board, and other contractual agreement as between a charter school and the Board, and Florida law.

Employees on charter school leave shall give the Board written notice of their intent to return at least sixty (60) days prior to the beginning of the semester in which they intend to return.

Placement of teachers upon return from this leave will occur for the next opening for which they are qualified. Teachers returning from charter school leave who begin the first day of the contract year will be eligible for insurance at the beginning of the month following their first contract day. Teachers who return from charter school leave following the first contract day will be eligible for insurance following ninety (90) days of continuous employment.

Charter school leave must be renewed annually. It is the sole responsibility of the employee on charter school leave to submit an annual leave form to the District’s personnel department on or before March 15th of each year if they wish to renew their charter school leave for the following school year. Employees who do not submit the required annual leave form on or before March 15th will be considered to have voluntarily terminated their employment, and will no longer be eligible for any benefits or other considerations under this leave policy.

Instructional staff members should refer to the collective bargaining agreement for more information pertaining to charter school and other leaves of absence.

Adopted 10/6/15