SECTION A       SICK LEAVE
1. Sick leave with pay is extended to teachers for personal illness and pregnancy only. Teachers shall be entitled to ten (10) days of sick leave with pay each year. Unused days may accumulate without any limit.

2. Teachers absent because of an occupationally related illness or injury (including an assault) that is covered under the State's Workers' Compensation Act, including injuri'es caused by an attack on a teacher while in the performance of any assigned duties, shall be paid the difference between his or her salary and benefits received under the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act for the duration of such absence while on temporary total disability, but not to exceed one (1) year.

3. Teachers shall be permitted to utilize up to and including six (6) days of annual sick leave for the purpose of family illness which requires the teacher's presence. In the event that the teacher utilizes such an option, a doctor's written verification for such an illness, beyond three (3) days, may be requested.

4. Teachers who retire from teaching in the bargaining unit after twenty (20) years of service, or upon application for social security, shall receive compensation for each sick day accumulated, as follows:

A. Prior to September 1, 1997, each day will be paid for at a rate of twenty (20) dollars per day;
B. From September 1, 1997, each day will be paid for at the rate of twenty-five (25) dollars per day.

SECTION B       PERSONAL DAYS
A teacher shall be entitled to three (3) personal days per year. Such leave, if not used, shall be added to accumulated sick leave. These days are granted to enable the teacher to conduct personal affairs which cannot be scheduled on other than school time. Normally, except in case of emergency, application for personal leave shall be made to the principal at least three (3) days in advance. If abuse is suspected, the principal shall be entitled to ask the reason for the personal day.

SECTION C       JURY DUTY, COURT DUTY LEAVE
1 . If a written request to postpone jury duty so that the teacher may serve during the time the school year is not in session is denied, a teacher shall receive his/her regular days' wages for a maximum of ten (10) days.

2. If a teacher is subpoenaed by a county, state or federal court, the teacher will be granted one (1) day of regular wages and may apply unused personal days if additional days of court duty are required.

3. If there are any fees paid to the teacher in these cases, the teacher will reimburse the school whatever fees are paid, less travel expenses.

SECTION D       FUNERAL LEAVE
In the event of a death in the immediate family of a teacher (parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, parent-in-law, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other relatives of the household), said teacher shall be entitled to take a leave at full pay for up to three (3yschool days. In the event of a death of the teacher's brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, the teacher shall be entitled to take a leave at full pay for one (1) day.

SECTION E       FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
1. Teachers may receive unpaid, job-related leave for certain family and medical reasons. They are eligible for this leave after they have been employed for at least one (1) year. A medical leave shall not extend beyond two (2) years, except by mutual agreement between the Association and the Diocese.

2. Unpaid leave will be granted for any of the following reasons: to care for the employee's spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee's job. Leave may also be requested to care for other members of the immediate family if the employee is the primary care-giver. Certain types of paid leave, such as vacation and accumulated sick days, may be substituted for unpaid leave.

3. The employee may be required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification. Taking leave may be denied if requirements are not met. The employee ordinarily must provide thirty (30) days advance notice when the leave is foreseeable. The Diocese may require medical certification to support a request for leave because of serious condition, and may require second or third opinions (at the employer's expense) and a fitness for duty report to return to work.

4. During the Family Medical Leave, the employee will continue to be included in the Diocesan health plan. Upon return from leave, the employee will be restored to his or her original or equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employee terms. The use of Family Medical Leave cannot result in the loss of the employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee's leave.

SECTION F      LEAVE OF ABSENCE
1. Due to unforeseen circumstances of a personal nature, a teacher may find it necessary to request a leave of absence. In such cases, the teacher shall make a written request for such leave to the Employer, providing the reason for the request and the expected length of such leave. The leave of absence shall not exceed beyond two (2) years except by mutual agreement between the Association and the Employer.

2. The teacher returning from a leave of absence shall return to the sarne school and department from which the teacher left, without any loss of seniority previously acquired. In the absence of such a position, the teacher shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Association and the Employer.

3. Teachers on a leave of absence shall have the option of continuing any, or all, fringe benefits at their own expense. Leaves of absence shall be without pay.

SECTION G      CHILD-BEARING LEAVE
1 . In the event a teacher desires a child-bearing leave in anticipation of, and prior to, any disability or inability to work due to her pregnancy or pregnancy related condition, she shall make notice to the Employer for such a leave. The notice must contain information sufficient to verify the pregnancy, including the expected date of delivery.

2. The notice must be given at least (30) days prior to the date the teacher wishes to commence said leave, except in case of emergency.

3. Sick leave may be utilized by a teacher on a child-bearing leave of absence upon certification by the teacher's attending physician of the teacher's attending physician of the teacher's disability by reason of pregnancy or pregnancy related condition during the period of the child-bearing leave of absence.

4. The child-bearing leave of absence may extend to the child's first birthday but may also, at the option of the teacher, be for a shorter period of time. The teacher shall notify the Employer in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of return. Such notification shall be accompanied by a letter from her physician stating that she is capable ofresuming her teaching duties.

5. When the requested date of return substantially interferes with the continuity of instruction, then the Employer may adjust those dates to a more suitable time. The Association shall be notified in writing concerning any adjustment of said dates. A teacher returning from such leave shall return to the same school and same department which she left without loss of school seniority or bargaining unit seniority as previously acquired. In the absence of such a position, the teacher shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Association and the Employer without loss of school seniority or bargaining unit
seniority as previously acquired.

6. Child-bearing leave of absence shall be without pay. Fringe benefits shall be continued throughout the period that a physician certifies that the teacher is incapacitated to work.

SECTION H       CHILD REARING AND ADOPTION LEAVE
1. A teacher may apply to his/her employer for such a leave of absence which shall not extend beyond two (2) years but may, at the option of the teacher, be for a shorter period of time.

2. The teacher must notify the Employer in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of return.  When the requested date of return substantially interferes with the continuity of instruction, then the employer may adjust those dates to a more suitable time.

3. The teacher returning from such a leave of absence shall return to the same school and department which the teacher left, without loss of any seniority previously acquired. In the absence of such a position, the teacher shall return to a position mutually agreed upon by the Association and the Employer.

4. Child rearing and adoption leave of absence shall be without pay.

5. A teacher on such leave has the option to continue fringe benefits, if the teacher assumes the cost.

SECTION I      CHARITABLE SERVICE, MILITARY SERVICE LEAVE
1. A tenured teacher who leaves a teaching position to enlist in public, charitable, or religious service may return to the school as soon as a position is available, without loss of school seniority or bargaining unit seniority previously acquired before the date of departure, providing application is made within ninety (90) days of discharge witn that agency.

2. If a teacher is called to fulfill a temporary military obligation not exceeding two (2) weeks, or is called to service in a state of temporary emergency, a substitute is to be paid from the teacher's salary and any remaining monies over and above the wages of the substitute are to be given to the teacher.

3. Any teacher who leaves the school in order to accompany his/her spouse on a tour of mandatory duty with the military may apply to the school and shall be given hiring consideration, provided such application is. made for reemployment, within ninety (90) days of completion of such tour.

SECTION J      ACADEMIC LEAVE
1. A tenured teacher desiring academic leave must make application to the Employer with a copy to the Association by at least April 1, of the school year preceding that for which the leave is requested. Such application must include the name of the academic institution and the particulars of the education program in which teacher has been admitted. Academic leave may only be granted at the beginning of a school year. While on academic leave, teachers shall receive no salary or other fringe benefits nor accrue any additional seniority. Upon conclusion of this leave, the teacher has the right to return to the bargaining unit in the same school and the same department, subject to the provisions of this Agreement dealing with constriction, and provided the teacher notifies the applicable principal on or before the preceding February 1, of that teacher's desire to return.

SECTION K SABBATICAL LEAVE
1. All teachers having completed ten (10) years in the bargaining unit are entitled to apply to the Employer for a sabbatical leave once each ten (10) years.

2. The teacher shall submit in writing to the Director of Education, with a copy to the Association, the request for a sabbatical leave by January 15 of the year prior to the academic year in which the leave is effective. The sabbatical leave must have as its primary purpose the professional growth of the teacher, and the request must state the particulars of the activity to be undertaken during the sabbatical leave.  The Director of Education shall approve or disapprove the leave.

3. Remuneration to the teacher on a sabbatical leave shall only be the difference between the replacement teacher's salary and the teacher's expected salary or one-half the teacher's expected salary, whichever is greater for the period of the leave.

4. A teacher returning from sabbatical leave shall be placed on the salary schedule without having lost any salary increases. The time spent on a sabbatical shall be considered increased experience. Upon completion of this leave, the teacher has the right to return to the same department and school.

5. Sabbatical leave may be taken for not more than the period of one (1) year nor less than one (1) semester.

6. Upon their return, teachers who were granted sabbatical leave shall teach in the bargaining unit schools for a, least two (2) years.

7. Failure to fulfill the terms of this section shall obligate the teacher to repay the Employer, as a debt and owing, all monies paid while on sabbatical leave.

SECTION L      PROFESSIONAL DAYS
1 . The Employer recognizes the benefits acquired by a teacher attending professional meetings, conferences, or conventions. Teachers may request from the principal paid leave to attend such meetings, conferences, or conventions.
 

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