SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD OF THE
TRANSITIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS
PERSONNEL POLICY
Leaves of Absence
Sabbatical Leave
Regulation #    4620.5
Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and approval by the Board (“Board”), sabbatical leave of up to one (1) year may be granted to employees for the purpose of professional improvement that shall directly benefit the St. Louis Public Schools system.
Eligibility
To qualify for sabbatical leave, an employee must have been employed at least nine (9) complete, consecutive school years as a full-time employee of the St. Louis Public Schools system.  Successive sabbatical leaves of absence may be granted after each successive seven (7) year period (i.e. 16, 23, 30 years of employment).
Application For Leave
Application for sabbatical leave for the first semester of each school year must be filed with the Division of Human Resources by March 15.  Requests for the second semester must be filed with the Division of Human Resources by November 15 of the current school year.  The application shall set forth a carefully developed plan for professional improvement through advanced study, travel, or a combination of both, and have the support of the site administrator and appropriate Education Officer.  After getting appropriate departmental signatures of recommendation, the application should be submitted to the Human Resources Department for approval and processing to the Superintendent for his/her recommendation.  All applications for sabbatical leave must be approved by the Human Resources Department.
Salary Provisions
The sabbatical leaves of absence granted pursuant to this policy shall be paid at the rate of one-half of the scheduled salary for the employee during the school year of the leave for the employee.  Sabbatical leave shall not prevent advancement on the salary schedule nor constitute a break in consecutive years of employment.  Before being granted sabbatical leave, the employee shall make application on a form provided for this purpose and enter into written agreement with the District that upon termination of the sabbatical leave, he/she will return to service in the St. Louis Public Schools. 
The District will forward the biweekly check of the employee on sabbatical leave to the address on file in the Human Resources Department or make the authorized direct deposit to the employees bank account, as appropriate.  The final biweekly salary check will be payable upon approval of the required sabbatical leave report.
An individual who was granted a sabbatical leave must teach or serve one year in the St. Louis Public Schools following completion of the leave.  If the employee’s service is discontinued for any reason other than his/her incapacity to carry out his/her assignment before the expiration of one year, he/she shall pay back to the District a pro rata part of the sabbatical allowance.
Allotment
The number of employees placed on the eligibility list for sabbatical leave shall not exceed one-half of one percent of the total number of certificated staff or one-half of one percent of the total number of non-certificated staff within the school system.
Timelines For Sabbatical Leave
The extent of the sabbatical leave shall not exceed the timeframe of the scheduled work year for the employee.
Hours Of Credit
A minimum of eight (8) semester hours of college credit must be earned during each semester of the sabbatical leave for study.  Evidence of the fulfillment of a formal study leave is an official transcript showing all courses completed.
Report Of Sabbatical Leave
After sabbatical, an employee shall file with the Human Resources Department, not later than six (6) weeks after return to duty, the following evidence in the form of a written report showing that the employee has met the objectives stated in the application:
1.         For Study
An official transcript showing fulfillment of the required minimum of eight (8) semester hours of college credit earned during each semester of the sabbatical leave for study.
2.         For Travel
A comprehensive report giving an analysis of the travel experiences and stating how the experiences shall directly benefit the St. Louis Public Schools system.
Vacation, Personal, And Sick Leave
An employee shall not be entitled to earn or use Personal Time Off (“PTO”) and shall not be entitled to use sick leave while on sabbatical leave.  The employee is entitled to the annual vacation leave during the period of sabbatical leave so long as the employee otherwise qualifies for vacation leave.

Retirement
An employee shall be given credit toward retirement for the time spent on sabbatical leave, in accordance with the rules and policies established by the St. Louis Public Schools Retirement System. 
Tenure And Permanent Status
Sabbatical leave shall not impair the employees tenure as a permanent certificated employee or the permanent status of a non-certificated employee.
Return To Service
An employee, upon return to service from sabbatical leave of absence, shall be restored to his/her former position or to a position in the same class, status, and pay for which he/she is qualified and entitled.  An employee on sabbatical leave shall receive lay off seniority credits and advancement on the salary schedule on the same basis as if his/her employment had not been interrupted.  An employee shall be allowed credit toward retirement for the time spent on sabbatical leave in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the St. Louis Public School Retirement System.
Regulation approved:  March 12, 2009