Extended Parental Leave for Tenured Teachers. A tenured teacher who is parenting a newborn or has adopted a child may request an extended parental leave of absence without pay according to the following: If the initial leave of absence begins prior to February 1, the tenured teacher shall be granted a leave of absence until the first day of the following school year. If the initial leave of absence begins after February 1, the tenured teacher shall be granted a leave of absence for the remainder of that school year and the following school year. Any tenured teacher who has been granted a leave of absence after February 1 during a school year and desires to return to a teaching position the following school year must notify in writing the Superintendent of this request no later than March 1 prior to the following school year. A tenured teacher granted parental leave will have medical, life, and dental insurance continued during the parental leave; and any tenured teacher granted parental leave who has completed one semester or more of the school term prior to the leave shall be considered to have completed a full year for the purposes of advancement on the salary schedule. As a condition of granting a second consecutive year of a leave of absence, the teacher will pay all insurance premiums during the second year of the leave.
