Code No. 405.5
LICENSED EMPLOYEE WORK DAY
Licensed employees who are employed only during the academic year will have the same work day as other licensed employees. "Day" is defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of an employee. Licensed employees are to be in their assigned school building during the work day. Advance approval to be absent from the school building must be obtained from the principal whenever the licensed employees must leave the school building during the work day.
The scheduled employee workday shall be eight (8) hours as determined by the building principal and will include the scheduling of a duty-free lunch period of not less than twenty (20) minutes, except under very occasional extenuating circumstances and for a maximum of one day per week when each Grade K-5 teacher is to supervise recess, and on this day, the teacher will not receive duty-free lunch. In the Junior High Senior High Building, the teacher shall have a maximum assignment every third week of responsibility for hall, common or lunch room duty. The teacher may not receive 20 minutes duty free-lunch on these days. Excluded from this time shall be the period of time prior to the beginning of the student day. The period that follows student dismissal may occasionally be included as part of the basic preparation minutes.
The Board may elect to extend one workday per week by one-half hour. The determination shall be made prior to the start of the school year. If this election is made, the district shall reduce the number of days in the work-year to 188 except for new teachers whose work-year shall be reduced to 190. The work-year may be extended by the Board by up to two days by paying the per diem rate for the additional days. The per diem rate shall be based on the employee’s salary and a 190-day work year.
The Board may permit some teacher contract days to be served during the summer months after the current contract year is complete and/or preceding the next contract year. These days must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee. If the district chooses an “hours” calendar, teachers may make up days that are canceled during the school year by serving an equivalent amount of professional development time if approved by the superintendent or his/her designee. Up to three additional summer professional development days that are approved by the superintendent or his/her designee may be “banked” for canceled days during the upcoming school year. If “banked” days are not needed for canceled school days, the teacher will be paid the substitute rate for those days if approved by the Teacher Quality Committee. “Banked” days cannot be carried over to the next contract year.
During the employee's normal working hours there shall be time allotted for the purpose of classroom preparation and student instruction. It is desirable for each employee to have an uninterrupted preparation period each day. Employees assigned to Grade 6-12 shall have a minimum of one regularly assigned period each day which may be used for preparation time, and during which the employee will not normally be assigned other duties. Employees assigned to Grade K-5 shall have a minimum of two hundred (200) minutes per week for preparation time. For Grade K-5 employees, the time that students who normally are under their supervision, are in physical education, recess, music, art or other special classes, shall be counted as part of the preparation time unless the teacher has other assigned duties during such time period(s). Excluded from this time shall be the period of time prior to the beginning of the student day. The period that follows student dismissal may occasionally be included as part of the basic preparation minutes.
The workday may be extended due to faculty meeting, conferences, or duties, which necessitate employee attendance. Employees shall be notified at least two (2) days in advance except in extenuating circumstances.
When school start time for a building is delayed because of inclement weather or emergency closing, the employee workday at that building shall be reduced in time by the amount of the closing. Building employees shall not be required to report when student attendance at that building is canceled because of inclement weather or emergency closings.
Principals, at their discretion, are authorized to permit other early departures from the building upon individual request.
On Fridays, on days ended early due to inclement weather, and days preceding holidays and vacation periods, the workday shall end ten (10) minutes after the departure of the route buses.
The Riverside Education Association may hold Association meetings outside the student day by notifying the Superintendent or designee at least two (2) days in advance. The same shall not interfere with other uses of the building.
The regular and extended contract of employees shall include the vacation days on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, December 23 through January 1 or December 24 through January 2, the Friday before Easter, Memorial Day and any additional days approved by the Board.
The building principal is authorized to make changes in the work day in order to facilitate the education program. These changes are reported to the superintendent.
The work day outlined in this policy is a minimum work day. Nothing in this policy prohibits licensed employees from working additional hours outside the work day.
Legal Reference:
Iowa Code §§ 20; 279.8.
Approved 9-13-93 Reviewed 12-17-23 Revised 7-15-2019