ROGERS -- The School Board approved Tuesday the extension of paid emergency covid-19 leave for its employees.
The School Board voted 7-0 to approve the policy through June 30.
The measure goes a long way toward taking care of the district's staff during the pandemic, said Nathan Gairhan, board president.
In the first half of the 2020-21 school year, state leaders directed $15 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, be made available to districts to offset up to 10 days of covid-related leave for their employees who needed the time off. That pool of money was spent by a Dec. 31 deadline and is no longer available.
The district's pandemic leave policy is retroactive and will apply to any covid-19 related leave staff had to take from Jan. 4 through now, said Roger Hill, assistant superintendent for human resources. Employees who had to take leave because of covid-19 in the fall semester of the 2020-21 school year are also eligible for the leave, he said.
"We need to take care of our teachers and our staff," Hill said.
There's no limit to the number of covid-19 leave days eligible employees can receive, he said, noting the original policy for the 2020-21 school year limited emergency covid-19 leave to 10 days.
"If it's covid related, the district's response is we're covering the leave," Hill said. "We're taking care of our employees on day 11, day 12 or day 21," he said.
No more than two district employees have had to take extended leave because of covid-19 to date, he said.
The district will provide paid leave to employees who are ordered by the district, a medical professional or the Arkansas Department of Health to quarantine or isolate for testing positive for covid-19, are experiencing covid-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis, are probable close contacts, or need to care for a dependent who's subject to a quarantine or isolation order, according to the policy.
The employees' job duties must not be able to be accomplished online, according to the policy.
"As best we can, we would like the teachers to work remotely," Hill said.
Employees who receive covid-19 emergency leave will be paid their full daily rate of pay, according the policy.
The paid covid-19 emergency leave provided under the policy will be used for eligible leave before other forms of district-provided paid leave are used, including sick, personal and vacation leave, according to the policy.
The emergency leave will be paid for by federal covid-19 money the district receives through the state, Hill said.
The bottom line for the district is to take care of employees while exhibiting grace and flexibility during the pandemic, he said.
"We're in a tough situation," Hill said. "This is a challenge for all of us."
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The Rogers School Board meets at 5 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month in the district administration office at 500 W. Walnut St.
Source: Rogers School District
Mary Jordan can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAMaryJ.