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

[Kate Bolton]

Hi Andrea,

Similar to what others have shared, we have this language in our teachers'
CBA:

*Use of the Sick Leave Bank days is limited to serious or catastrophic
illness or injury of the employee. *

We haven't had anyone challenge this, common sense (I know it's rare!)
would say that if we used it for birth-related leaves we would run out of
available days pretty quickly, though I'm sure if the person had serious
medical complications we would allow it. The idea of a separate parental
leave bank is interesting.

:) Kate

Kate Bolton
(she/her/hers and here's why <https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why/>)
Director of Business & Finance
Scarborough Public Schools
Tel: 207-730-4114



On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 4:12 PM Andrea Disch <adisch at msad11.org> wrote:

> We were informed by counsel that the issue was being addressed as a
> discrimination concern.
> Their position is that postpartum recovery is comparable to recovery from
> any other medical procedure.
> Therefore, the Sick Leave Bank should be allowed to be used for the
> postpartum recovery period, however not the bonding period.
>
>
>
> Andrea Disch
>
> Business Manager
>
>
> Maine School Administrative District No. 11
> 150 Highland Avenue • Gardiner, Maine 04330
>
>
>
> 207-582-5346
>
> *aDisch at msad11.org <aDisch at msad11.org>*
>
> *www.msad11.org <http://www.msad11.org>*
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 11:34 AM Dawn Blanchard <
> dblanchard at brunswicksd.org> wrote:
>
>> Our language stipulates "for the benefit of continuing contract teachers
>> who suffer illness or disability and who have exhausted their accumulated
>> regular sick leave but are not yet eligible for disability insurance (we
>> provide LTD to teachers)."
>> I have had a teacher utilize the sick bank during the postpartum recovery
>> phase- but not bonding.  I did request medical documentation to prove it
>> was needed for the recovery and not bonding time.
>>
>> We have since implemented a parental leave bank that is funded through
>> teacher donation of days.
>>
>> ~Dawn
>>
>> Dawn Blanchard
>> Director of Personnel and Finance
>> 207-319-1950
>> Sent from mobile device
>>
>>
>> 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
>>
>>
>> Se você precisar contatar Departamento Escolar de Brunswick ou se
>> precisar deste documento traduzido por favor ligue para 1-833-806-0705
>> para ajuda com intérprete em português.
>>
>> Se você precisa traduzir este documento ou deseja a ajuda de um
>> intérprete, envie um e-mail para MLsupport at brunswicksd.org com seu nome,
>> telefone e o idioma que você precisa.
>>
>> Si necesita traducir este documento o desea la ayuda de un intérprete,
>> envíe un correo electrónico a MLsupport at brunswicksd.org con su nombre,
>> teléfono y el idioma que necesita.
>>
>> Soki okozala na besoin ya lisungi pona ko traduire document oyo ou bien
>> lisungi ya interprete, s'il vous plait repondre na mesage oyo ou bien tinda
>> email na MLsupport at brunswicksd.org na kombo, numero ya teplephone na
>> yo,na munoko oyo oza nango besoin.
>>
>> Si vous avez besoin de traduire ce document ou si vous souhaitez l'aide
>> d'un interprète, envoyez un e-mail à  MLsupport at brunswicksd.org  avec
>> votre nom, téléphone et la langue dont vous avez besoin.
>>
>> This communication (including all attachments) is intended solely for the
>> use of the person or persons to whom it is addressed and contains
>> information that may be privileged or confidential to the Brunswick School
>> Department. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby formally
>> notified that any use, copying, printing, or distribution of this e-mail,
>> in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. If you received this email in
>> error, please notify the author immediately by replying to this message and
>> delete the original message.
>> _______________________________________________
>> SchoolFinance mailing list
>> SchoolFinance at maillist.informe.org
>> http://maillist.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfinance
>
> _______________________________________________
> SchoolFinance mailing list
> SchoolFinance at maillist.informe.org
> http://maillist.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfinance
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://maillist.informe.org/pipermail/schoolfinance/attachments/20251114/66c1b53a/attachment-0001.htm>