[SchoolFinance] Inquiry: Use of Sick Leave Bank for Postpartum Recovery

[Carolyn Heller]

Here is the language from Ellsworth's CBA"

Purpose: The sick leave bank is designed to provide income protection for
eligible teachers who
have exhausted their personal leave, sick leave. and any other available
paid leave and who have
a serious health condition under the FMLA as determined by the Business
Office based on the
information provided in the employee's completed FMLA forms. Sick leave
bank days are not
available for elective surgery that is not medically necessary. Any
employee receiving payments
under the Worker's Compensation Act will be ineligible for sick leave bank
compensation while
receiving those benefits .

Carolyn Heller
Business Manager
Ellsworth School Department
207-664-7100 x1104


On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 11:22 AM Field, Stacie <sfield at rsu16.org> wrote:

> Our language also states "serious or extended non-work-related illness or
> injury."
> Specific to pregnancy or childbirth it states "only if medically
> necessary."
> Excludes elective surgery and family members' illness or injury.
>
> Stacie Field
> Business Manager
> RSU 16 - Poland, Mechanic Falls, Minot
> 207.998.2727 ext 102
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 11:11 AM Lucie Tabor <ltabor at vuesc.org> wrote:
>
>> Our Sick Leave bank stipulates it's for a teacher experiencing a
>> prolonged or catastrophic illness or event (of the employee), so maternity
>> leave does not fit into that unless there are complications and it becomes
>> a prolonged or catastrophic illness
>>
>> Lucie
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 10:46 AM Andrea Disch <adisch at msad11.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Colleagues,
>>>
>>> I’m reaching out to ask whether any of your districts currently restrict
>>> staff members recovering from childbirth—who lack sufficient personal sick
>>> leave—from drawing time from an associated sick leave bank.
>>>
>>> Our current Collective Bargaining Agreement specifies that this is not
>>> permitted. However, we were previously advised by counsel that prohibiting
>>> employees from accessing the sick leave bank for postpartum recovery could
>>> constitute discrimination, prompting a change in past practice.
>>>
>>> I’d appreciate learning whether others are facing similar language in
>>> their agreements, and if so, how your districts are addressing it in
>>> practice.
>>>
>>> Thank you in advance for any insights you can share.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Andrea
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SchoolFinance mailing list
>>> SchoolFinance at maillist.informe.org
>>> http://maillist.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfinance
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Lucie Tabor
>> *Director of Finance*
>> *Valley Unified Educational Service Center (VUESC)*
>> *Serving the School Districts of MSAD 27, MSAD 33 and Madawaska School
>> Dept.*
>> *Upper St. John Valley*
>> _______________________________________________
>> SchoolFinance mailing list
>> SchoolFinance at maillist.informe.org
>> http://maillist.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfinance
>
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