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Updated:  September 2008

EXEMPLARY ATTENDANCE PLAN
Irving ISD
Approved by the IISD Board of Trustees on October 7, 2002

Goals:

• Improve employee attendance in the Irving ISD

• Reward employees with outstanding attendance over a period of time

• Provide an incentive to improve retention of employees in the Irving ISD

Summary of Plan:

Irving ISD employees have an opportunity to earn additional days of Local Sick Leave for outstanding attendance each semester.  Employees will have the option of using these additional days for absences, “sell” the days at retirement, or “sell” the days during employment at a reduced rate.

Basic Guidelines:

• The Plan applies to all full-time (100%) employees of Irving ISD.

• The days of work in a school year is determined by the school calendar, and any “To Be Announced” days are determined by the employee’s supervisor.  In any case, the school year will not begin prior to July 1st and will not be extended beyond June 30th.  The first semester ends for all employees with the end of the first semester of the academic calendar.

• An employee must be employed and on duty for the first and last work days for their specific job for each semester in order to be eligible for this award.  For the full year award, they must be employed for the first and last work days for their specific job for that year.

• Absences that disqualify an employee for this reward include any partial or full day that may be charged to local sick leave, state sick leave, or state personal leave and any absence that results in dock of pay.

• Absences that do not disqualify an employee include any that are for jury duty, vacation, comp time, school business, or staff development.

Accrual of Local Sick Leave Days Through Exemplary Attendance:

Employees will earn additional Local Sick Leave Days, according to the following guidelines:        

• For each semester in which an employee maintains perfect attendance, the employee will be given two additional days of Local Sick Leave.

• If an employee has perfect attendance for both semesters in a school year, the employee will be given two additional days of Local Sick Leave, for a total of six days (See example 1).

•  For each semester in which an employee has only one chargeable absence, the employee will be given one additional day of Local Sick Leave.

• If an employee does not have perfect attendance for the year, but has no more than one chargeable absence in each semester, one additional day of Local Sick Leave will be given  (See example 3).

Accounting of Exemplary Attendance Days Earned:

A new account will be created to place the Local Sick Leave Days earned through this program, distinct and separate from the current Local Sick Leave and State Personal Leave.  This account will be called Exemplary Attendance Sick Leave Days.

The number of days that can be accrued over time is unlimited, and they can only be withdrawn as described in the section below. 

When utilized for Sick Leave, the Exemplary Attendance Sick Leave days will only be used after Local Sick Leave Days, State Sick Leave Days, and State Personal Leave days have been exhausted from the individual’s account.

Withdrawal of Exemplary Attendance Days:

An employee has three options on how to use their Exemplary Attendance Days: 1 - Sick Leave Days, 2 – “Sell” the days at Retirement, or 3 – “Sell” the days during employment at a reduced rate, as described below.

Option 1 - Exemplary Attendance Days as Sick Leave Days

If an employee has exhausted all Local Sick Leave, State Sick Leave, and State Personal Leave, Exemplary Attendance Days must be used for any absence that may occur.  Exemplary Attendance Days will follow the same rules for use as Local Sick Leave Days, such as personal or family illness, death in the family, or family emergency.  

Eligibility for Sick Leave Bank or Extended Local Leave days will not be considered until all Exemplary Attendance Days are exhausted.

Option 2 – “Sell” Exemplary Attendance Days at Retirement

As an incentive for exceptional attendance and for retention of employees until retirement, the accrued Exemplary Attendance Days may be “sold” by the employee to the district at retirement under the following conditions:

• At the same rate as the current “Buy-Back” program for retired teachers through accrual of Local Sick Leave Days.

• No limit on the number of Exemplary Attendance Days that may be “sold.”

Option 3 – “Sell” Exemplary Attendance Days during Employment

As an incentive for exceptional attendance and for retention of employees, the accrued Exemplary Attendance Days may be “sold” by the employee to the district during employment at a reduced rate under the following conditions:

• A minimum of 15 days must be in the employee’s Exemplary Attendance Sick Leave Days account before being eligible to sell any days.

  • A maximum 10 days may be sold at 80% of the rate equivalent to the retirement “Buy-Back” rate set by the Board of Trustees at that time.

  • Any additional days in the Exemplary Attendance Days account may be “sold” in the same year that the first 10 days are “sold” at 50% of the rate equivalent to the retirement “Buy-Back” rate set by the Board of Trustees

• The request to “sell” Exemplary Attendance Days must be made during the month of September each year.

• The payment will be made to the employee in the October paycheck under “Special Earnings.”

• If an employee terminates employment with the district, the days in the Exemplary Attendance account at the time of termination are depleted.

• Any days sold are subject to income tax.