Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 14-14 WA Ameding the Personnel Manual WESTLAKE ACADEMY RESOLUTION NO. 14-1 A RESOLUTION OF THE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMENDING CURRENT MANUAL AND ADOPTING THE 2014-2015 WESTLAKE ACADEMY PERSONNEL MANUAL. WHEREAS, Westlake Academy recognizes that ongoing updates to the Academy's personnel manual are necessary to ensure best practices; and, WHEREAS, the leaders of Westlake Academy desire to promote professionalism, safety, security, and high standards of performance in the workplace; and, WHEREAS, Westlake Academy desires is to provide employees with a personnel manual that reflects the goals and vision of the Academy's leaders; and, WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this Resolution is in the best interest of the citizens of Westlake as well as the students, their parents, and faculty of Westlake Academy. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WESTLAKE ACADEMY: SECTION 1: that, all matters stated in the Recitals hereinabove are found to be true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference as if copied in their entirety. SECTION 20 That the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees does hereby amends the current manual with the proposed personnel policy additions and changes, attached as Exhibit "A", and adopts the 2014-2015 Westlake Academy Personnel Manual with the aforementioned additions. SECTION 3: If any portion of this Resolution shall, for any reason, be declared invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof and the Council hereby determines that it would have adopted this Resolution without the invalid provision. Resolution WA 14-14 Page 1 of 7 SECTION 4e That this resolution shall become effective from and after its date of passage. PASSEL?AND APPROVED ON THIS 11TH DAB' OF AUGUST 2014. ATTEST: Laura Wheat, President Kelly Edwa , Town Secretary om Brymer, up rintendent APPROVED AS TO FORM: Janet . Bubert or L. Stanton Lowry, Schod Attorney Resolution WA 14-14 Page 2 of 7 Exhibit "A" " Westlake Academy Personnel Manual 2014-2015 Proposed Updates Workload and Work Schedules Professional employees Professional employees and academic administrators are exempt from overtime pay and are employed on a 10-, 11-, or 12-month basis, according to the work schedules set by the Academy. A school calendar is adopted each year designating the work schedule for teachers and all school holidays. Notice of work schedules including required days of service and scheduled holidays will be distributed each school year. ® Classroom teachers will have planning periods for instructional preparation and conferences. The schedule of planning periods is at least 450 minutes within each two-week period in blocks not less than 45 minutes. Teachers and librarians are allowed a duty-free lunch period of at least 30 minutes. The Academy may require teachers to supervise students during lunch one day a week when no other personnel are available. Standards of conduct The attitude and behavior of all employees is seen as a direct reflection of Westlake Academy, its programs and policies. Employees should at all times present themselves in such a manner as to promote good will and a favorable attitude of the general public toward Westlake Academy. All employees are expected to work together in a cooperative and professional manner to serve the best interests of the Academy and to be courteous to students, one another, and the public. Expectations of professional conduct for employees include, but are not limited to, the following: • Demonstate professional conduct at all times in the workplace and in public. • Recognize and respect the rights and property of the public, students, and co-workers and maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to students and co-workers. • Report to work according to the assigned schedule. • Follow proper protocols in accordance with the Academy's policies, procedures, and organizational stucture. • Faithfully perform all assigned duties with high ethical standards. • Notify immediate supervisors in advance (or as early as possible) if they must be absent or late. Unauthorized absences, chronic absenteeism, tardiness, and failure to follow procedures for reporting an absence may be cause for disciplinary action. • Know and comply with all Academy procedures and policies. • Observe all safety rules and regulations and report injuries or unsafe conditions to a super- visor immediately. • Use Academy time, funds, and property for authorized Academy business or activities only. • Discuss or share information related to Academy business to appropriate or authorized parties only. Resolution WA 14-14 Page 3 of 7 Leaves and absences Westlake Academy offers employees paid and unpaid leaves of absence in times of personal need. This handbook describes the basic types of leave available and restrictions on leaves of absence. Employees who have personal needs that will require long leaves of absence (5 days or more) are required to notify the Human Resources Office as well as their campus administrator or supervisor. When the need for a long leave is foreseeable, employees must provide a 30-day advance notice. Employees who take an unpaid leave of absence may continue their insurance benefits at their own expense. Health care benefits for employees on authorized leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act will be paid by the Academy, to the same extent as when the employee is working. Otherwise, the Academy does not make benefit contributions for employees who are on unpaid leave. Local and state personal leave is earned on an annual basis. Regular full-time and part-time employees (as opposed to temporary, substitute or seasonal) earn local and state personal leave, and is available for the employee's use at the beginning of the school/contract year. If an employee leaves the Academy before the end of the work year, the cost of any unearned leave days already taken shall be deducted from the employee's final paycheck. Local and state personal leave must be used in full-day or half-day increments. However, if an employee is taking family and medical leave, leave shall be recorded in one-hour increments. Earned comp time must be used before any available paid state personal or local leave. There are currently three categories of accumulated leave that an employee may have: • Local leave • State Personal Leave • State Sick Leave Unless an employee requests a different order, available leave will be used in the following order: • Earned Comp Time • Local Leave • State Leave Employees must follow the Academy procedures to report or request any leave of absence and complete the appropritate form or certification. Local leave Local leave is earned at a rate of one-half workday for each 18.7 days of employment, up to a maximum of seven(7)days per year. A day of earned local leave is equivalent to an assigned workday. There is no limit on the accumulation of local leave, and local leave is not transferrable to other Texas school districts or education service centers. Local leave can be used only in whole or half-day increments, except when coordinated with family and medical leave taken on an intermittent or reduced-schedule basis, or with Workers' Compensation benefits. Resolution WA 14-14 Page 4 of 7 Local leave cannot be combined with scheduled holidays, staff development days, or days scheduled for required testing. Unauthorized absences under this policy will result in payroll deductions for any day(s) missed. Stale Personal leave State law entitles all employees to five days of paid personal leave per year.Personal leave is available for use at the beginning of the year. A day of personal leave is equivalent to the number of hours per day in an employee's usual assignment, whether full-time or part-time. State personal leave accumulates without limit, is transferable to other Texas school districts, and generally transfers to education service centers. Personal leave may be used for two general purposes:nondiscretionary and discretionary. I+iondiseretionary: Leave that is taken for personal or family illness, emergency, a death in the family, or active military service is considered nondiscretionary leave. This type of leave allows very little or no advance planning and will be granted to employees in the same manner as sick leave. Discretionary: Leave that is taken at an employee's discretion and that can be scheduled in advance is considered discretionary leave. An employee wishing to take discretionary personal leave must submit a notice of the request five(5)days in advance of the anticipated absence to his or her principal or supervisor. The effect of the employee's absence on the educational program, as well as the availability of substitutes, will be considered by the principal or supervisor. Use of discretionary personal leave shall be considered granted unless the principal or supervisor notifies the employee to the contrary, within a reasonable period of time prior to the anticipated absence and stating the reason for denial. Discretionary personal leave may not be taken for more than five consecutive workdays except in extenuating circumstances as approved by the principal or supervisor. Discretionary leave shall not be allowed on the day before a school holiday, the day after a school holiday, days scheduled for end-of-semester or end-of-year exams, days scheduled for exams, state tests (ex: STAAR tests), the first or last day of instruction, nor on professional or staff development days, except with prior approval of the principal or supervisor. Leave Proration: If an employee separates from employment with the Academy before his or her last duty day of the year, or begins employment after the first duty day, state personal leave will be prorated based on the actual time employed. When an employee separates from employment before the last duty day of the school year, the employee's final paycheck will be reduced by the amount of state personal leave the employee used beyond his or her pro rata entitlement for the school year. Resolution WA 14-14 Page 5 of 7 State Sick Leave State sick leave accumulated before 1995 is available for use and may be transferred to other school districts in Texas. State sick leave can be used only only in whole or half-day increments, except when coordinated with family and medical leave taken on an intermittent or reduced- schedule basis or when coordinated with workers' compensation ben-efits. State sick leave may be used for the following reasons only: • Employee illness • Illness in the employee's immediate family • Family emergency(i.e., natural disasters or life-threatening situations) • Death in the immediate family • Active military service Pest control treatment Employees are prohibited from applying any pesticide or herbicide without appropriate training and prior approval of the integrated pest management (IPM)coordinator. Any application of pesticide or herbicide must be done in a manner prescribed by law and the Academy's integrated pest management program. • Notices of planned pest control treatment will be posted in affected building(s)48 hours before the treatment begins. Notices are generally located in the Teacher's lounge. In addition, individual employees may request in writing to be notified of pesticide applications. An employee who requests individualized notice will be notified by telephone, written or electric means. Pest control information sheets are available from the Director of Facilities upon request. Emergencies All employees should be familiar with the safety procedures for responding to a medical emergency and the evacuation diagrams posted in their work areas. Emergency drills will be conducted to familiarize employees and students with safety and evacuation procedures. Fire extinguishers and automatic external defibrillators are located throughout the Academy campus.. Employees should know the location of these devices and procedures for their use. Personnel records Most Academy records, including personnel records, are public information and must be released upon request. Employees may choose to have the following personal information withheld: • Address • Phone number, including personal cell phone number • Emergency contact information • Information that reveals whether they have family members • Personal e-mail address Resolution WA 14-14 Page 6 of 7 The choice to not allow public access to this information may be done at anytime by submitting a written request to withhold personal information. New or terminating employees have 14 days after hire or termination to submit a request. Otherwise, personal information will be released to the public. Hazing ® Students must have prior approval from the Superintendent or designee for any type of"initiation rites" of a school club or organization. While most initiation rites are permissible, engaging in or permitting"hazing" is a criminal offense. Any teacher, administrator, or employee who observes a student engaged in any form of hazing, who has reason to know or suspect that a student intends to engage in hazing, or has engaged in hazing must report that fact or suspicion to the Superintendent or designee. Administering medication to students o Only designated employees can administer prescription medication, nonprescription medication, and herbal or dietary supplements to students Exceptions apply to the self-administration of asthma medication,medication for anaphylaxis (e.g., EpiPen©), and medication for diabetes management, if the medication is self-administered in accordance with Academy policy and procedures. A student who must take medication during the school day must bring a written request from his or her parent and the medicine, in its original, properly labeled container. Contact the Principal or the school nurse for information on procedures that must be followed when administering medication to students. Resolution WA 14-14 Page 7 of 7