|
1,843 days off in past year
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · August 14, 2014
Putting full-time and part-time staff together, the nearly 125 employees of West Branch Community School asked for more than 1,843 days off during the 2013-14.
That’s an average of nearly 15 days off per employee — nearly three full weeks during the school year.
But when Superintendent Kevin Hatfield presented these figures, plus a breakdown by groups and reasons, to the Board of Education last month, those numbers came with a couple asterisks:
• Associate sick days — 168.5 — included 20 days of maternity leave and 26 days of extended illness
• Certified employees (teachers) sick days — 505 — included 55 days of maternity leave and 60 days for extended illness
Further, the breakdown shows that not one teacher took off any days for vacation when class was in session. However, teachers requested almost 123 days for personal reasons, 153 for family illness, and nearly 39 days for bereavement.
Outside of sick days, the second-highest number of days off for teachers went toward professional development — 268 days.
The superintendent said that “98 percent” of the staff use leave appropriately, whether asking time off for sickness, family illness, bereavement, professional development, vacation, personal days or school business.
“I’m guessing we’re pretty comparable” to other schools, Hatfield said.
Board President Kathy Knoop noted that the district’s four managers — those a step below administrators — only requested time off for 5.75 days.
“Five-and-a-half days doesn’t seem like they’re doing a whole lot,” she said.
Business Manager Angie Klinkkammer noted that she does not record time off for professional development if it is less than half a day.
Board member Deb Schreiber said she would like to see time off reflected in half-hour increments.
The superintendent noted that sometimes professional development happens on campus, so some staff may not request time off for that.
Hatfield presented three years of data collected and compiled by the Central Office staff. Some highlights:
• Each year maternity leave accounts for 20 to 68 days off.
• Each year extended sick leave accounts for 25 to 60 days off.
• In 2011-12, the school had 121.9 employees who took off 1,748.25 days, or an average of 14.34 days off per employee.
• In 2012-13, the school had 124.52 employees who took off 1,696.5 days, or an average of 13.62 days off per employee.
• In 2011-12, the six custodians accounted for the most days off per employee of the eight different groups, with 27.13 days off. Custodians were sick for almost half that time: 12.63 days.
• In 2011-12, the six drivers asked for the least time off — 4.67 days — than any other group. Of that, they called in sick for 3.17 days.
• In 2012-13, custodians accounted for the most days off with 18.17 days off per employee, however, they were second to teachers when calling in sick — 6.08 days compared to teachers’ 7.19 days.
• In 2013-14, teachers accounted for the highest average days off: 16.85, but were second to teaching associates when calling in sick: 7.47 days compared to associates’ 7.66 days.
• In 2011-12, school administrators called in sick less than anybody else: 2.44 days. They were also third to last for total days off: 10.81, with 3.31 days for family illness and 2.25 days for professional development.
• In 2012-13, school administrators were fifth on the list of eight groups when it came to total time off — 10.9 days — and sixth for sick days: 3.45 days.
• In 2013-14, school administrators were fifth on the list for total time off — 13.45 days — and fourth on the list for sick days — 5.05 days.
• Teacher time off for professional development: 2011-12 — 222.25 days (3.27 days per teacher); 2012-13 — 235.5 days (3.49 days per teacher); 2013-14 — 267.5 days (3.96 days per teacher).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
