a) Upon completion of three (3) years of employment in a teaching position with the Division, a teacher shall be eligible for a leave of absence without pay of up to two (2) years in length for study or other purpose. The Superintendent shall have full authority to deny any such request or modify any such request with the consent of the employee and the denial of a request shall not be subject to the Settlement of Differences article.
b) Teachers with less than three (3) years of service may not apply for leave under this article.
c) Without limiting the generality of the following, leaves may be granted for the following:
- extended parenting leave;
- illness within the teacher’s family;
- educational reasons;
- travel;
- teacher exchange;
- to engage in work other than as a teacher in a public or private school,
- teach in another country,
- other purposes acceptable to the Superintendent.
d) Such leave shall not result in loss of accumulated sick leave nor benefits accrued to the date leave without pay commences and shall not count as experience for increment purposes. Where benefits are allowed to continue the teacher on leave must pre-pay, on a timely basis, both the teacher and employer portion and be subject to any and all provisions of the applicable master plans which may apply. Teachers shall not accumulate sick leave while on leave without pay.
e) A teacher returning from leave under this article within the first year will be placed in a position at the same level but not necessarily the same position. For a teacher who has been on leave for more than one (1) year, placement on return will be to any position. A teacher will return from leave only at the start of the applicable term or semester. Under no circumstances will leave in excess of two (2) years be granted under this article.
f) A teacher on leave will be subject to the Layoff article should that teacher have been covered by that article had that teacher not been on leave.
g) Applications for a leave of absence under this article to be taken during any school year are to be received by April 1st of the preceding school year.