2013-2014 Employee Handbook Grape Creek ISD
Transcription
2013-2014 Employee Handbook Grape Creek ISD
Employee Name: 2013-2014 Employee Handbook for Grape Creek ISD 8207 US Highway 87 North San Angelo, TX 76901 Administration: High School: Middle School: Primary and Intermediate Elementary: www.grapecreekisd.net David Hale, Superintendent 658-7823 653-1852 655-1735 655-1735 Fax: Fax: Fax: Fax: Three Rivers Special Populations Cooperative: 8207 U.S. Hwy. 87 North San Angelo, TX 76901 Phone: 655-6768 Fax: 655-6915 Paul Michalewicz, Assistant Superintendent of Special Populations 1 658-8719 653-3568 657-2997 658-2623 TABLE OF CONTENTS Employee Dress Code ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 GCISD Vision Statement and Goals ................................................................................................................................ 10 Board of Trustees ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Board Meeting Schedule ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Administration .................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Helpful Contacts .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 School Calendar .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Employment ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Equal Employment Opportunity............................................................................................................................... 14 Job Vacancy Announcements ................................................................................................................................. 14 Employment Alter Retirement ................................................................................................................................. 14 Contract and Non-Contract Employment ................................................................................................................ 14 Certifications and Licenses ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Searches and Alcohol and Drug Testing ................................................................................................................. 16 Health Safety Training ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Reassignments and Transfers ................................................................................................................................ 16 Workload and Work Schedules ............................................................................................................................... 17 Notification of Parents Regarding Qualifications ..................................................................................................... 17 Outside Employment and Tutoring .......................................................................................................................... 18 Performance Evaluation .......................................................................................................................................... 18 Employee Involvement ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Staff Development ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Appraisal Procedures .............................................................................................................................................. 18 Appraisal Calendar.................................................................................................................................................. 19 Compensation and Benefits ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Salaries, Wages and Stipends ................................................................................................................................ 20 Due Dates for Employee Leaves and Absences ..................................................................................................... 20 Annualized Compensation ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Paychecks ............................................................................................................................................................... 20 Automatic Payroll Deposit ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Payroll Deductions .................................................................................................................................................. 21 Overtime Compensation ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Time Clocks ............................................................................................................................................................ 22 Benefits........................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Health, Dental and Life Insurance ........................................................................................................................... 22 Supplemental Insurance Benefits............................................................................................................................ 22 Cafeteria Plan Benefits (Section 125) ..................................................................................................................... 23 Workers’ Compensation Insurance ......................................................................................................................... 23 Unemployment Compensation Insurance ............................................................................................................... 23 Teacher Retirement ................................................................................................................................................ 23 Leaves and Absences ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Personal Leave ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 Sick Leave............................................................................................................................................................... 25 Local Leave ............................................................................................................................................................. 26 District and State Leave Buy-Back Program ........................................................................................................... 26 Family and Medical Leave ...................................................................................................................................... 26 Temporary Disability ............................................................................................................................................... 29 Workers’ Compensation Benefits ............................................................................................................................ 29 Assault Leave.......................................................................................................................................................... 29 Bereavement Leave ................................................................................................................................................ 30 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 2 Jury Duty ................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Other Court Appearances ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Military Leave .......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Travel Policy................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Use of GCISD Vehicles ........................................................................................................................................... 30 Instructions for Staff Travel ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Instructions for Consultants ..................................................................................................................................... 34 Transportation for Students ..................................................................................................................................... 34 Miscellaneous Travel Information............................................................................................................................ 35 Mileage Chart .......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Employee Relations and Communications ................................................................................................................. 37 Employee Recognition and Appreciation ................................................................................................................ 37 District Communications ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Media Contacts ....................................................................................................................................................... 37 District Publications ................................................................................................................................................. 37 Complaints and Grievances .................................................................................................................................... 37 Employee Conduct and Welfare ................................................................................................................................... 38 Standards of Conduct ............................................................................................................................................. 38 Texas Educators Code of Ethics ............................................................................................................................. 38 Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation ........................................................................................................... 41 Harassment of Students .......................................................................................................................................... 41 Employee to Employee ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Reporting Suspected Child Abuse .......................................................................................................................... 42 Technology Resources ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Personal Use of Electronic Media ........................................................................................................................... 44 Use of Electronic Media with Students .................................................................................................................... 45 Educational Technology and Acceptable Use ......................................................................................................... 46 Internet Access Acceptable Use Policy ................................................................................................................... 47 Criminal History & Background Checks/Employee Arrests and Convictions ........................................................... 48 Alcohol and Drug-Abuse Prevention ....................................................................................................................... 49 Tobacco Use ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 Fraud and Financial Impropriety.............................................................................................................................. 49 Conflict of Interest ................................................................................................................................................... 50 Gifts and Favors ...................................................................................................................................................... 50 Copyrighted Materials ............................................................................................................................................. 50 Associations and Political Activities......................................................................................................................... 50 Charitable Contributions .......................................................................................................................................... 51 Safety ...................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Possession of Firearms and Weapons.................................................................................................................... 51 Visitors in the Workplace ......................................................................................................................................... 51 Asbestos Management Plan ................................................................................................................................... 51 Pest Control Treatment ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Bad Weather Closing .............................................................................................................................................. 52 Emergencies ........................................................................................................................................................... 52 Purchasing Procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 53 Inventory Procedures .............................................................................................................................................. 54 Fiscal Responsibility – Record-Keeping .................................................................................................................. 54 Name and Address Changes .................................................................................................................................. 55 Personnel Records .................................................................................................................................................. 55 Building Use ............................................................................................................................................................ 55 Maintenance Requests ........................................................................................................................................... 55 Termination of Employment ......................................................................................................................................... 55 Resignations ........................................................................................................................................................... 55 Dismissal or Nonrenewal of Contract Employees ................................................................................................... 56 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 3 Dismissal of Noncontract Employees ...................................................................................................................... 56 Dismissal of Employees Under Employment Agreements ...................................................................................... 56 Exit Interviews and Procedures ............................................................................................................................... 57 Reports to the Texas Education Agency ................................................................................................................. 57 Reports Concerning Court-Ordered Withholding .................................................................................................... 57 Student Issues ............................................................................................................................................................... 58 Equal Educational Opportunities ............................................................................................................................. 58 Student Records ..................................................................................................................................................... 58 Parent and Student Complaints .............................................................................................................................. 58 Administering Medication to Students ..................................................................................................................... 59 Student Conduct and Discipline .............................................................................................................................. 59 Student Attendance................................................................................................................................................. 60 Bullying.................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Hazing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Cafeteria.................................................................................................................................................................. 60 Bloodborne Pathogens ............................................................................................................................................ 61 Sharps Form ........................................................................................................................................................... 67 Accident Reporting .................................................................................................................................................. 69 Special Programs .......................................................................................................................................................... 69 At Risk Program ..................................................................................................................................................... 69 Dislexia Program ..................................................................................................................................................... 70 ESL (English as a Second Language) Program ...................................................................................................... 70 Family Services Program ........................................................................................................................................ 71 Guidance and Counseling Program ........................................................................................................................ 71 Technology Program ............................................................................................................................................... 71 Title One Reading ................................................................................................................................................... 72 Student Registration/Withdrawal ............................................................................................................................. 72 Policy Online Reference ................................................................................................................................................ 74 Appendix ........................................................................................................................................................................ 76 Employee Injury Report Form ................................................................................................................................. 77 Student Accident Record Form ............................................................................................................................... 79 Employee Absentee Sheet ...................................................................................................................................... 80 Direct Deposit Form ................................................................................................................................................ 81 Exit Interview Form ................................................................................................................................................. 82 Family and Medical Leave Act ................................................................................................................................ 84 Disciplinary Referral to Principal ............................................................................................................................. 85 Referral to Counselor .............................................................................................................................................. 86 Referral to Nurse ..................................................................................................................................................... 87 Special Education Referral Form ............................................................................................................................ 88 504 Referral Form ................................................................................................................................................... 89 Elementary Failing Students ................................................................................................................................... 90 Secondary Failing Students .................................................................................................................................... 91 Elementary and Secondary Grading Procedures .................................................................................................... 92 Homework Policy .................................................................................................................................................... 93 Quote Sheet ............................................................................................................................................................ 94 Requisition Form ..................................................................................................................................................... 95 Purchase Order ....................................................................................................................................................... 96 Extracurricular Requisition Request Form............................................................................................................... 97 Travel Voucher ........................................................................................................................................................ 98 Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification ................................................................................................. 99 Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate ................................................................................................ 100 Student Activity and Transportation Permission ...................................................................................................... 101 Parental Release and Self-Transport Form ............................................................................................................. 102 Child Sexual Abuse Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 103 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 4 EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK RECEIPT Name ________________________________________________ Campus/department ____________________________________ I hereby acknowledge receipt of information that the Grape Creek ISD Employee Handbook and Supplement to the Handbook that includes important district policies is available to me on the district’s website at www.grapecreekisd.net under Staff Resources. I agree to read the handbook and abide by the standards, policies, and procedures defined or referenced in this document. I also understand that I may access the policies, including employment policies, online at www.grapecreekisd.net by clicking on Administration at the top of the page, then Board Policy Online under Important Links/Documents. I understand that each campus and the administration office has a copy of the handbook for my convenience. I understand that each campus library and the Custodial/Maintenance/Transportation office has Internet access. I understand that I may print the handbook from the web site. The information in this handbook is subject to change. I understand that changes in district policies may supersede, modify, or eliminate the information summarized in this booklet. As the district provides updated policy information, I accept responsibility for reading and abiding by the changes. I understand that no modifications to contractual relationships or alterations of at-will relationships are intended by this handbook. I understand that I have an obligation to inform my supervisor or department head, our Payroll/Human Resource Clerk and the State Board of Educator Certification (if applicable) of any changes in personal information, such as name change, phone number, address, etc. I also accept responsibility for contacting my supervisor or the personnel department if I have questions or concerns or need further explanation. By signing this document, I recognize and accept full responsibility for any violations of federal, state or local copyright laws that I may commit and that the district will not be held liable for any such violations made on my behalf. Furthermore, in consideration for the privilege of using the district's electronic communication system, and in consideration for having access to the public networks, I hereby release the district, its operators, and any institutions with which they are affiliated from any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from my use of, or inability to use, the system, without limitation, the type of damage identified in the district's policy and administrative regulations. ______________________________________ Signature _________________________ Date Note: You will be given a copy of this form to complete and return to your campus/department office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 5 STUDENT HANDBOOK AND CODE OF CONDUCT RECEIPT Name ________________________________________________ Campus/department ____________________________________ I hereby acknowledge I have online access to a copy of the Grape Creek ISD Student Handbook and Code of Conduct at www.grapecreekisd.net. I agree to read the handbook and abide by the standards, policies, and procedures defined or referenced in this document. The information in this handbook is subject to change. I understand that changes in district policies may supersede, modify, or eliminate the information summarized in this booklet. As the district provides updated policy information, I accept responsibility for reading and abiding by the changes. I understand that no modifications to contractual relationships or alterations of at-will relationships are intended by this handbook. I accept responsibility for contacting my supervisor or the personnel department if I have questions or concerns or need further explanation. By signing this document, I recognize and accept full responsibility for any violations of federal, state or local copyright laws that I may commit and that the District will not be held liable for any such violations made on my behalf. ______________________________________ Signature _________________________ Date Note: You will be given a copy of this form to complete and return to your campus/department office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 6 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT Name: ________________________________ PRINT Full Name I understand that any information concerning any student/individual that may be personally identifiable, which may come to my knowledge while an employee of the Grape Creek Independent School District, is to be held in the strictest confidence. I understand that any unauthorized disclosure of confidential student information is illegal as provided in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), and in the implementing of federal regulations found in 34 CFR, Part 99. FERPA is specifically incorporated into the Texas Public Information Act as an exception to records that are subject to disclosures to the public (Government Code, Section 552.026). I also understand that releasing confidential information is prohibited by the Texas Government code, Section 552.352, and that such an offense constitutes a Class A misdemeanor. General access to the PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System) information is authorized to representatives of state and local educational authorities and is to be used for the purpose of providing programmatic services to districts, to enhance district performance, increase student achievement and ensure accuracy of PEIMS data. Any district financial or personnel information that is considered private must also be kept confidential. As a participant in accessing the information, I agree to comply with the above referenced law and all other laws and policies governing student and district confidentiality. ___________________________________________ Signature _______________________ Date Reminder: Personal identification data is confidential and must be carefully protected; paper discards must be shredded. Note: You will be given a copy of this form to complete and return to your campus/department office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 7 PERSONAL INFORMATION DENIAL / PERMISSION FORM Re: Open Records Act On occasion, professional organizations, insurance companies or other vendors make official requests for the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, work locations, job classifications etc… of each employee in our school district. The Texas Open Records Act (ORA) requires all information listed above to be released upon receipt of a written request. However, the employee may choose to deny access to his/her home address, telephone number, social security number, or any other information that reveals whether the person has family members. In order to deny access to this information, the employee must make the request in writing and present the written request to the district’s personnel officer. Every employee is required to sign and date the form below, where appropriate, and return the form to the school’s administration office, to the attention of the payroll clerk, by no later than Friday, August 23, 2013. If you have any questions, please contact the GCISD Payroll/Human Resources Clerk at 658-7823, ext. 1003. Employee’s Name (please print): ______________________________________________________________ By signing below, I am requesting my home address, telephone numbers (including cell numbers), personal email address, emergency contact information or any other information that reveals whether I have family members be withheld from anyone making a formal request for that information from the Grape Creek Independent School District. _____________________________________________________ __________________________________ Signature Date -ORI give permission for my home address, telephone numbers (including cell numbers), personal email address, emergency contact information or any other information that reveals whether I have family members to be released to those who make request for it from Grape Creek Independent School District. ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________ Signature Date Note: You will be given a copy of this form to complete and return to your campus/department office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 8 EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE Approved by District Site Base April 18, 2012 Approved by GCISD Board of Trustees May 14, 2012 Grape Creek ISD employees should always dress professionally and be neatly groomed. The following dress code should be followed for all instructional staff: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Dresses shorter than the student dress code specifications are unacceptable. Shorts are not acceptable on instructional days. Walking shorts are acceptable, but will not be shorter than the student dress code specifies. Blue jeans and wind pants are permissible only on days designated by campus administrators. Wind pants, shorts and warm ups are acceptable for P.E. and athletics, but not for regular classroom instruction. Exceptions can be made by campus principals. See-through blouses are unacceptable. Street shoes, tennis shoes and sandals may be worn, but not shower shoes. Facial hair is acceptable for men, if trimmed and kept neat. No caps or hats will be worn in the building. Tattoos must be covered. Piercing accessories other than those for the ear must be removed. Generally, if a rule applies to students as defined by the Grape Creek ISD Student Dress Code, it would apply to the employees as well. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 9 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this handbook is to provide information that will help with questions and pave the way for a successful year. Not all district policies and procedures are included. Those that are have been summarized. Suggestions for additions and improvements to this handbook are welcome and may be sent to the superintendent of schools. This handbook is neither a contract nor a substitute for the official district policy manual. It is not intended to alter the at-will status of employees in any way. Rather, it is a guide to and a brief explanation of district policies and procedures related to employment. District policies and procedures can change at any time; these changes shall supersede any handbook provisions that are not compatible with the change. For more information, employees may refer to the policy codes that are associated with handbook topics, confer with their supervisor, or call the appropriate district office. District policies can be accessed online at http://www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/226907/. District Vision Statement & Goals Adopted August 11, 2009 GCISD is a World Class learning center where all students and staff are inspired and challenged to think and learn to their full potential. Goals 1. GCISD will take advantage of all funding opportunities to continually maintain a strong financial system in order to enhance the academic environment for all students and employees, while striving for a Superior financial rating. 2. GCISD will provide inviting, clean and safe state of the art facilities that will meet the academic needs of both the present and future while generating community pride and involvement. 3. GCISD will provide a motivated and inspired staff that will meet the diverse needs of all students through curriculum and instruction to reach their full potential in life skills, technical preparation and college readiness. 4. GCISD will improve its advertising of district successes to its community. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 10 Board of trustees Policies BA, BB series, BD series, and BE series Texas law grants the board of trustees the power to govern and oversee the management of the district’s schools. The board is the policy-making body within the district and has overall responsibility for the curriculum, school taxes, annual budget, employment of the superintendent and other professional staff, and facilities. The board has complete and final control over school matters within limits established by state and federal law and regulations. The board of trustees is elected by the citizens of the district to represent the community’s commitment to a strong educational program for the district’s children. Trustees are elected on odd numbered years and serve four-year terms. Trustees serve without compensation, must be registered voters, and must reside in the district. Board Members Mike Diaz .......................................... President Tom Walker ....................................... Vice President Butch Hasty ....................................... Secretary Fred Contreras .................................. Trustee Diane James ..................................... Trustee Jimmy Hill .......................................... Trustee Scott Smetana................................... Trustee The board usually meets at 6:30 pm on the second Monday of each month in the Grape Creek Community Room, located at 8207 U.S. Hwy. 87 North. In the event that large attendance is anticipated, the board may meet at Grape Creek High School. Special meetings may be called when necessary. A written notice of regular and special meetings will be posted at the administration building at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting time. The written notice will show the date, time, place, and subjects of each meeting. In emergencies, a meeting may be held with a two-hour notice. All meetings are open to the public. In certain circumstances, Texas law permits the board to go into a closed session from which the public and others are excluded. Closed session may occur for such things as discussing prospective gifts or donations, real-property acquisition, certain personnel matters including employee complaints, security matters, student discipline, or to consult with attorneys regarding pending litigation. BEC Legal Board meeting schedule for 2013-2014 August 12, 2013 September 9, 2013 October 14, 2013 November 11, 2013 December 9, 2013 January 14, 2014 February 11, 2014 March 11, 2014 April 8, 2014 May 13, 2014 June 10, 2014 July 8, 2014 Audience participation at a board meeting is limited to the public comment portion of the meeting. Persons who wish to make comments to the board shall sign up before the meeting begins, indicating the topic about which they wish to speak. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 11 Administration Superintendent…………………………….. Asst. Supt. of Three Rivers Coop…..…… Business Manager…………..…………….. High School Principal……………………… Middle School Principal…………………… Intermediate Elementary Principal………. Primary Elementary Principal……………. David Hale…..……………... Paul Michalewicz..……….... Theresa Bird……………….. Roger Henderson………… Greg Baucom………………. Leigh Ann Stephens………. Angie Covey……………….. 658-7823, ext. 1000 655-6768, ext. 1205 655-7458, ext. 1004 653-1852, ext. 5013 655-1735, ext. 3002 655-1735, ext. 2010 655-1735, ext. 2001 Helpful contacts From time to time, employees have questions or concerns. If those questions or concerns cannot be answered by supervisors or at the campus or department level, the employee is encouraged to contact the appropriate department as listed below. Carla Barron.…………………………… Kim Hancock……….………………….. Audrey Lankford……..………………… Jordan Cox…………..…………………. Cindy Lemley…………………………… Rick Bacon……………………………… Kyle Atwood……………………………. Tonya Draper…………………………… Dave Augustine………………..……….. Dennis Millner…………………………. Theresa Bird……………………………. Teri Deweber…………………………… Terry Feathers…………………………. Summer Fowler……….……………….. Assistant High School Principal……………………………. High School Counselor……………………………………… Middle School Dean of Students…………………………… Middle School Counselor…………………………………… Elementary Counselor………………………………………. Technology Director….……………………………………… Athletic Director……………………………………………… Food Services Director….………………………………….. Transportation Director…..………………………………….. Maintenance/Custodial Supervisor………………………… Business Manager…………………………………………… Administrative Assistant/Communications Specialist…… Payroll Clerk………………………………………………….. Accounts Payable……………………………………………. FAX NUMBERS: Primary/Intermediate Elementary……. Middle School………………….………. High School…………………….……… Administration…………………………. Three Rivers Special Pops Coop…… 658-2623 657-2997 653-3568 658-8719 655-6915 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 12 655-1852, ext. 5013 653-1852, ext. 5006 655-1735, ext. 3003 658-2485, ext. 3010 655-1735, ext. 2012 653-1852, ext. 5012 658-7628, ext. 4000 653-1852, ext. 2016 655-1735, ext. 6000 655-1735, ext. 6000 658-7823, ext. 1004 658-7823, ext. 1000 658-7823, ext. 1003 658-7823, ext. 1007 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 13 EMPLOYMENT Equal employment opportunity Policies DAA and DIA The Grape Creek ISD does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information or on any other basis prohibited by law. Additionally, the district does not discriminate against an employee or applicant who acts to oppose such discrimination or participates in the investigation of a complaint related to a discriminatory employment practice. Employment decisions will be made on the basis of each applicant’s job qualifications, experience, and abilities. Employees with questions or concerns relating to discrimination on any of the basis listed above should contact the district superintendent. Job vacancy announcements Policy DC To the extent possible, announcements of job vacancies by position and location are posted on a regular basis and posted at the central administration building. They may also be viewed online at the District's website: www.grapecreekisd.net. Employment after retirement Individuals receiving retirement benefits from the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) may be employed in limited circumstances on a full- or part-time basis without affecting their benefits, according to TRS rules and state law. Detailed information about employment after retirement is available in the TRS publication Employment After Retirement. Employees can contact TRS for additional information by calling 800-223-8778 or 512-542-6400. Information is also available on the TRS Web Site (www.trs.state.tx.us). See Policy DC Contract and non-contract employment Policies DC Series State law requires the district to employ all full-time professional employees in positions requiring a State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and nurses under probationary, term, or continuing contracts. Employees in all other positions are employed at will or by a contract that is not subject to the procedures for non-renewal or termination under Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code. The paragraphs that follow provide a general description of the employment arrangements used by the district. Probationary contracts – Nurses and full-time professional employees new to the district and employed in positions requiring SBEC certification must receive a probationary contract during their first year of employment. Former employees who are hired after a two-year lapse in district employment or employees who move to a position requiring a new class of certification also may be employed by probationary contract. Probationary contracts are one-year contracts. The probationary period for those who have been employed in public schools for at least five of the eight years preceding employment with the district may not exceed one school year. For those with less experience, the probationary period will be three school years (i.e., three one-year contracts) with an optional fourth school year if the board determines it is doubtful whether a term or continuing contract should be given. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 14 Term Contracts - Full-time professionals employed in positions requiring certification and nurses will be employed by term or continuing contracts after they have successfully completed the probationary period. Campus principals and central office administrators are employed under two-year term contracts. The terms and conditions of employment are detailed in the contract and employment policies. All employees will receive a copy of their contract. Employment policies can be accessed online or copies will be provided upon request. PLEASE NOTE: All employment contracts are conditioned on Employee's satisfactorily providing the certification, service records, teaching credentials, and other records required by law, the Texas Education Agency, the State Board of Educator Certification, or the District. Failure to submit valid certification to the Superintendent before the first day of performance voids the employment contract. Misrepresentation or fraud by the Employee in any of these records or the employment application is good cause for discharge. Employee represents that she or he has made written disclosure to the District of any conviction for a felony or for any offense involving moral turpitude. It is the Employee's duty to make sure all required documents are on file at the District Administrative office. Non-certified professional and administrative employees - Employees in professional and administrative positions that do not require SBEC certification (such as non-instructional administrators) are employed by a one-year contract that is not subject to the procedures for non-renewal or termination under the Texas Education Code. Paraprofessional and auxiliary employees - All paraprofessional and auxiliary employees, regardless of certification, are employed at will and not by contract. Employment is not for any specified term and may be terminated at any time by either the employee or the district. Fingerprinting – Pre-employment fingerprinting and national database background checks and registry are required of all employees, volunteers and contractors having regular access to students. The cost of pre-employment fingerprinting and background checks for non-certified and certified employees will be absorbed by the district or the state with few exceptions. In the event of separation prior to 1 full year of service, these fees will be withheld from final payroll distributions. Substitute employees will be required to pay for the fingerprinting costs up front and will be reimbursed after five full days of service in the district. Certification and Licenses Policy DBA Professional employees whose positions require SBEC certification or professional license are responsible for taking actions to ensure their credentials do not lapse. Employees must submit documentation that they have passed the required certification exam and/or obtained or renewed their credentials to the HR/Payroll office in a timely manner. A certified employee’s contract may be voided without due process and employment terminated if the individual does not hold a valid certificate or fails to fulfill the requirements necessary to extend a temporary certificate, emergency certificate, probationary certificate, or permit. A contract may also be voided if SBEC suspends or revokes certification because of an individual’s failure to comply with criminal history background checks. Contact the GCISD Business Office at 658-7823, if you have any questions regarding certification or licensure requirements. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 15 Searches and alcohol and drug testing Policy DHE Non-investigatory searches in the workplace, including accessing an employee’s desk, file cabinets, or work area to obtain information needed for usual business purposes may occur when an employee is unavailable. Therefore, employees are hereby notified that they have no legitimate expectation of privacy in those places. In addition, the district reserves the right to conduct searches when there is reasonable cause to believe a search will uncover evidence of work-related misconduct. Such an investigatory search may include drug and alcohol testing if the suspected violation relates to drug or alcohol use. The district may search the employee, the employee’s personal items, work areas, district-owned computers, lockers, and private vehicles parked on district premises or worksites or used in district business. Employees Required to Have a Commercial Driver’s License - Any employee whose duties require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is subject to drug and alcohol testing. This includes all drivers who operate a motor vehicle designed to transport 16 or more people, counting the driver; drivers of large vehicles; or drivers of vehicles used in the transportation of hazardous materials. Teachers, coaches, or other employees who primarily perform duties other than driving are subject to testing requirements when their duties include driving a commercial motor vehicle. Drug testing will be conducted before an individual assumes driving responsibilities. Alcohol and drug tests will be conducted when reasonable suspicion exists, at random, when an employee returns to duty after engaging in prohibited conduct, and as a follow-up measure. Testing may be conducted following accidents. Return-to-duty and follow-up testing will be conducted when an employee who has violated the prohibited alcohol conduct standards or tested positive for alcohol or drugs returns to duty. All employees required to have a CDL that are subject to alcohol and drug testing will receive a copy of the district’s policy, the testing requirements, and detailed information on alcohol and drug abuse and the availability of assistance programs. Employees with questions or concerns relating to alcohol and drug policies and related educational material should contact the district superintendent. Health Safety Training Policies DBA and DMA Certain employees who are involved in physical activities for students must maintain and submit to the district proof of current certification of training in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), and extracurricular athletic activity safety. Certification or documentation of training must be issued by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, University Interscholastic League, or another organization that provides equivalent training and certification. Employees subject to this requirement must submit their certification or documentation to Jajean Johnson, District Nurse, by September 13, 2013. Reassignments and transfers Policy DK All personnel are subject to assignment and reassignment by the superintendent or designee when the superintendent or designee determines that the assignment or reassignment is in the best interest of the district. Reassignment is a transfer to another position, department, or facility that does not necessitate a change in the employment contract. Campus reassignments must be approved by the principal at the receiving campus except when reassignments are due to enrollment shifts or program changes. Extracurricular or supplemental duty assignments may be reassigned at any time unless an extracurricular or supplemental duty assignment is part of a dual-assignment contract. Employees who object to a reassignment may follow the district process for employee complaints as outlined in this handbook and district policy DGBA (LOCAL). 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 16 An employee with the required qualifications for a position may request a transfer to another campus or department. A written request for transfer must be completed and signed by the employee and the employee’s supervisor. A teacher requesting a transfer to another campus before the school year begins must submit their request by May 1. Requests for transfer during the school year will be considered only when the change will not adversely affect students and after a replacement has been found. All transfer requests will be coordinated by the administration office and must be approved by the receiving supervisor. Workload and work schedules Policies DEA and DL Professional employees. Professional and academic administrators are exempt from overtime pay and are employed on a 10-, 11-, or 12-month basis, according to the work schedules set by the district. A school calendar is adopted each year designating the work schedule for teachers and all school holidays. Notice of work schedules start and end dates and scheduled holidays will be distributed each school year. Classroom teachers will have planning periods for instructional preparation, including conferences. The schedule of planning periods is set at the campus level but must provide at least 450 minutes within each two-week period in blocks not less than 45 minutes within the instructional day. Teachers and librarians are entitled to a duty-free lunch period of at least 30 minutes. The district may require teachers to supervise students during lunch one day a week when no other personnel are available. Paraprofessional and auxiliary employees. Support employees are employed at will and will be notified of the required duty days, holidays, and hours of work for their position on an annual basis. Paraprofessional and auxiliary employees are not exempt from overtime and are not authorized to work in excess of their assigned schedule without prior approval from their supervisor. Overtime is considered anything in excess of a 40-hour work week. Salaries are figured based on a 40hour work week and any time worked in excess of 40 hours is considered overtime. (See p.21 for more on overtime). All overtime must have pre-approval by the employee’s supervisor. Part-time Employment. Any employee who regularly works 30 hours or less per week is considered a part-time employee and may not eligible for benefits. Notification to parents regarding qualifications Policies DBA and DK In schools receiving Title I funds, the district is required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to notify parents at the beginning of each school year that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher. NCLB also requires that parents be notified if their child has been assigned, or taught for four or more consecutive weeks by, a teacher who is not highly qualified. Texas law requires that parents be notified if their child is assigned for more than 30 consecutive instructional days to a teacher who does not hold an appropriate teaching certificate. This notice is not required if parental notification under NCLB is sent. Inappropriately certified or uncertified teachers include individuals serving with an emergency permit (including individuals waiting to take a certification exam) and individuals who do not hold any certificate or permit. Information relating to teacher certification will be made available to the public upon request. Employees who have questions about their certification status can call the administration office at 658-7823, ext. 1000. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 17 Outside employment and tutoring Policy DBD Employees are required to disclose in writing to their immediate supervisor any outside employment that may create a potential conflict of interest with their assigned duties and responsibilities or the best interest of the district. Supervisors will consider outside employment on a case-by-case basis and determine whether it should be prohibited because of a conflict of interest. Teachers are not allowed to privately tutor their students for pay, except during the summer months. Performance Evaluation Policies DN Series Evaluation of an employee’s job performance is a continuous process that focuses on improvement. Performance evaluation is based on an employee’s assigned job duties and other job-related criteria. All employees will participate in the evaluation process with their assigned supervisor at least annually. Written evaluations will be completed on forms approved by the district. Reports, correspondence, and memoranda also can be used to document performance information. All employees will receive a copy of their written evaluation, have a performance conference with their supervisor, and have the opportunity to respond to the evaluation. Employee involvement Policies BQA, BQB At both the campus and district levels, Grape Creek ISD offers opportunities for input in matters that affect employees and influence the instructional effectiveness of the district. As part of the district’s planning and decision-making process, employees may either be asked or elected to serve on district- or campus-level advisory committees. Plans and detailed information about the shared decision-making process are available at each campus. Staff development Policy DMA Staff development activities are organized to meet the needs of employees and the district. Staff development for instructional personnel is predominantly campus-based, related to achieving campus performance objectives, addressed in the campus improvement plan, and approved by a campus-level advisory committee. Staff development for noninstructional personnel is designed to meet specific licensing requirements (e.g., bus drivers) and continued employee skill development. Individuals holding renewable SBEC certificates are responsible for obtaining the required training hours and maintaining appropriate documentation. Appraisal Procedures Policy DNA Training for teachers will be provided no later than the final day of the first three weeks of school and at least three weeks before the first observation on the PDAS instrument. The training will include materials approved by the commissioner of education. The teacher orientation must include all policies, local appraisal calendar, and information on the requirements for the completion of the Teacher Self-Report Form. Section I of the Teacher Self-Report Forms will be received and returned to the appraiser by the teacher no later than the last day of the first three weeks of school. Sections II and III of the Teacher Self-Report will be received and reviewed two weeks prior to the teacher’s annual summative conference. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 18 Cumulative data will be collected and shared with the teacher in writing. Any documentation that will influence the teacher’s annual summative report will be shared and verified within ten working days of the appraiser’s knowledge of the occurrence. A complete written summative annual report will be presented at a conference no later than 15 working days before the last day of instruction for students. Teachers may be allowed to “wave off” an observation. A teacher may exercise the option of requesting that the observer return on another day without penalty. The “wave off” option should not be abused. Teacher observations will be one 45 minute observation or observations equaling 45 minutes (i.e. three 15 minute or one 15 minute and one 30 minute) and/or walk through observations will be conducted as per the district appraisal calendar. Advance notice may be given, but is not required. A pre or post-conference with the appraiser may be requested by the teacher, this may be done within ten working days of the observation. The written observation will be prepared and shared with the teacher within ten working days of the observation. All observations for appraisal purposes will be unscheduled. However, the campus appraisers may use a three-week window for schedules. The number of appraisals and/or observations that a teacher may have during the year is always at the discretion of the administrator. The appraisal period shall exclude the first three weeks of instruction. Formal observations shall not be conducted on the last instructional day before any school holiday. 2013-2014 Appraisal Calendar Date Event August 22, 2013 PDAS Orientation Completion September 16, 2013 First Day for Formal Observations September 16, 2013 Teacher Self-Report Part I Due Aug. 30; Nov. 27; Dec. 20; Mar. 7; May 23 No Formal Observations Preceding a Holiday April 3, 2014 Last Day for Teacher Self-Report Parts II and III Due April 11, 2014 Deadline for Completion of Observations for Appraisals April 30, 2014 Last Day for Written Summative to be given to Teachers May 7, 2014 Last Day to Conduct Summative Annual Conferences 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 19 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Salaries, wages, and stipends Policy DEA, DEAA, DEAB Employees are paid in accordance with administrative guidelines and a pay structure established for each position. The district’s pay plans are reviewed by the administration each year and adjusted as needed. All district positions are classified as exempt or nonexempt according to federal law. Professional and academic administrators are generally classified as exempt and are paid monthly salaries. They are not entitled to overtime compensation. Other employees are generally classified as nonexempt and are paid an hourly wage or salary or receive compensatory time or overtime pay for each overtime hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. (See Overtime Compensation, page 21.) Salaries and wages are reviewed on an annual basis and adjusted according to the budgeted amounts approved by the board. All employees will receive written notice of their pay and work schedules before the start of each school year. Classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time nurses and full-time counselors will be paid no less than the minimum state salary schedule. Contract employees who perform extracurricular or supplemental duties may be paid a stipend in addition to their salary according to the district’s extra-duty pay schedule. Due Dates for Employee Leaves of Absences The cut-off date for Employee Leave of Absences/Substitute Teacher sheets will be the 15th of each month. If the 15th falls on a weekend, it will be due the following Monday. Employees should contact the Payroll Clerk at 658-7823, ext.1003 for more information about the district’s pay schedules or their own pay. Annualized compensation Policy DEA The district pays all salaried employees over 12 months regardless of the number of months employed during the school year. Salaried employees will be paid in equal monthly or bimonthly payments, beginning with the first pay period of the school year. An employee, who separates from service before the last day of instruction or retires under TRS, will receive in his or her final paycheck, a lump sum payment for wages actually earned from the beginning of the school year to the date of separation. Employees that separate after the last day of instruction will continue to receive paychecks through the end of the summer. Paychecks All professional and salaried employees are paid monthly through automatic deposits made to individual employee checking or savings accounts. An employee’s payroll statement contains detailed information including deductions, withholding information, and the amount of leave accumulated. Requests for Final Disbursements for separating employees who have fulfilled contract obligations should be made by the cut-off date for payroll in any given month. Automatic payroll deposit The district distributes employee checks through automatic payroll deposit. Payroll checks are deposited electronically into the employee’s personal banking account. Employees must arrange this procedure with the District's payroll clerk for 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 20 proper authorization. With automatic deposit, an employee’s pay is immediately available on the pay date. Contact the business director for more information about the automatic payroll deposit service. Please see form on page 81. Payroll deductions Policy CFEA The district is required to make the following automatic payroll deductions: - Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) or Social Security employee contributions - Federal income tax required for all full-time employees - Medicare tax (applicable only to employees hired after March 31, 1986) Temporary and part-time employees who are not eligible for TRS membership must have their Social Security contributions deducted. Other payroll deductions employees may elect include deductions for the employee’s share of premiums for health, dental, life, and vision insurance, annuities, and higher education savings plans. Employees also may request payroll deduction for payment of membership dues to professional organizations. Please Note: The District will not pay dues for memberships to professional organizations unless the membership is required for certification. Salary deductions are automatically made for unauthorized or unpaid leave. Salary deductions will be made for recovery of NSF checks or checks returned to the district issued by an employee. Any charges owed GCISD at the end of the final pay period will be deducted from the employee’s paycheck, including but not limited to unpaid balances for cell phone plans, uniforms and cafeteria charges. Overtime compensation Policy DEA The district compensates overtime for nonexempt employees in accordance with federal wage and hour laws. Only nonexempt employees (hourly employees and paraprofessional employees) are entitled to overtime compensation. Nonexempt employees are not authorized to work beyond their normal work schedule without advance approval from their supervisor. Overtime is legally defined as all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week and is not measured by the day or by the employee’s regular work schedule. Nonexempt employees that are paid on a salary basis are paid for a 40-hour workweek and do not earn additional pay unless they work more than 40 hours. Employees who must work beyond their normal schedule but less than 40 hours per week will be compensated in straight-time pay or compensatory time off. Employees must work more than 40 total hours in a week to earn overtime compensation. For the purpose of calculating overtime, a workweek begins at 12:00 a.m. Saturday and ends at 11:59 p.m. Friday. Employees may be compensated for overtime with compensatory time off (comp time) or direct pay at time-and-a-half rates. Comp time for non-exempt employees will follow local board policy (See DEA Local). Employees may be compensated for overtime at time-and-a-half rate with compensatory time off (comp time) or direct pay. The following applies to all nonexempt employees: o Employees can accumulate up to 60 hours of compensatory time. o Comp time must be used in the duty year that it is earned. o Use of comp time may be at the employee’s request with supervisor approval as workload permits, or at the supervisor’s direction. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 21 o An employee may be required to use comp time before using any other available paid leave (e.g., sick, personal, vacation). o Weekly time records will be maintained on all nonexempt employees for the purpose of wage and salary administration. Time Clocks All support staff (non-salaried maintenance, transportation, instructional aides or office personnel) must clock in at the beginning of each work day, clock in and out during lunch breaks or any other leaves or breaks taken during the day, and clock out at the end of each work day. Employees are not allowed to clock in or out for any other employee; doing so will be grounds for termination. Employees are to arrive and depart work promptly according to their designated work schedules. Each employee must clock out at lunch. Any working through a lunch hour must be pre-approved by the direct supervisor. No overtime is allowed without prior approval from the direct supervisor. Anyone violating this policy will be “written up” and will be subject to possible termination. The payroll department will be checking with supervisors concerning any time worked in excess of 40 hours per week. For questions concerning the time clocks or any policies associated with this procedure, please contact the district payroll clerk at 658-7823, ext. 1003. BENEFITS Health, dental, and life insurance Policy CRD Group health insurance coverage is provided through TRS-ActiveCare, the statewide public school employee health insurance program. The district’s contribution to employee insurance premiums is determined annually by the board of trustees. Employees eligible for health insurance coverage include the following: • • Employees who are active, contributing TRS members Employees who are not contributing TRS members and who are regularly scheduled to work at least 10 hours per week TRS retirees who are enrolled in TRS-Care (retiree health insurance program) and employees who are not contributing TRS members that are regularly scheduled to work less than 10 hours per week are not eligible to participate in TRS-ActiveCare. The insurance plan year is from September 1 through August 31. Current employees can make changes in their insurance coverage during open enrollment each spring. Detailed descriptions of insurance coverage, employee cost, and eligibility requirements are provided to all employees in a separate booklet. Employees should contact the business office for more information. Supplemental insurance benefits Policy CRD At their own expense, employees may enroll in supplemental insurance programs. Premiums for these programs can be paid by payroll deduction. All payroll deductions to new providers must be approved by the District’s third party administrator. Employees should contact the payroll clerk/benefits coordinator for more information. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 22 Cafeteria plan benefits (Section 125) Policy CRG Employees may be eligible to participate in the Cafeteria Plan (Section 125) and, under IRS regulations, must either accept or reject this benefit. This plan enables eligible employees to pay certain insurance premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., disability, accidental death and dismemberment, cancer and dread disease, dental and additional term life insurance). A third-party administrator handles employee claims made on these accounts. New employees must accept or reject this benefit during their first month of employment. All employees must accept or reject this benefit on an annual basis and during the specified time period. Workers’ compensation insurance Policy CRE The district, in accordance with state law, provides workers’ compensation benefits to employees who suffer a work-related illness or are injured on the job. Benefits help pay for medical treatment and make up for part of the income lost while recovering. Specific benefits are prescribed by law depending on the circumstances of each case. All work-related accidents or injuries shall be reported immediately to the employee’s supervisor. Employees who are unable to work due to a workrelated injury will be notified of their rights and responsibilities under the Texas Labor Code. An accident or injury report must be submitted to your immediate supervisor regardless of whether you sought or will seek medical attention. (See form, page 77). Also see Compensation and Benefits, page 20 for information on use of paid leave for such absences. Unemployment compensation insurance Policy CRF Employees who have been laid off or terminated through no fault of their own may be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. Employees are not eligible to collect unemployment benefits during regularly scheduled breaks in the school year or the summer months if they have employment contracts or reasonable assurance of returning to service. Employees with questions about unemployment benefits should contact the district's administration office at 658-7823. Teacher retirement Policy DEG All personnel employed on a regular basis for at least four and one-half months are members of the Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS). Substitutes not receiving TRS service retirement benefits who work at least 90 days a year are also eligible for TRS membership and to purchase a year of creditable service. TRS provides members with an annual statement of their account showing all deposits and the total account balance for the year ending August 31, as well as an estimate of their retirement benefits. For an individual who begins employment on or after September 1, 2003 with an employer that is a TRS reporting entity and who is not a member of TRS as of the date of employment, eligibility for TRS pension plan membership begins on the first calendar day after the end of a 90 calendar day waiting period. Employees who plan to retire under TRS should notify the business director as soon as possible. Information on the application procedures for TRS benefits is available in the administration offices. Additional inquiries should be addressed to: Teacher Retirement System of Texas, 1000 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78701-2698, or call 800-223-8778 or 512-5426400. TRS information is also available on the TRS website (www.trs.state.tx.us). 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 23 LEAVES AND ABSENCES Policies DEC, DECA, DECB The district offers employees paid and unpaid leaves of absence in times of personal need. This handbook describes the basic types of leave available and restrictions on leaves of absence. Employees who expect to be absent for an extended period of more than five days should call the district’s business office for information about applicable leave benefits, payment of insurance premiums and requirements for communicating with the district. Leave must be used in half-day increments. However, if an employee is taking family and medical leave, leave shall be recorded in one-hour increments. Earned comp time must be used before any available paid state and local leave. Unless an employee requests a different order, available paid state and local leave will be used in the following order: • • Local Leave State Personal Leave Employees must follow district and department or campus procedures to report or request any leave of absence and complete the appropriate leave request form. Medical Certification: Any employee who is absent more than 3 days because of a personal or family illness must submit a medical certification from a qualified health care provider confirming the specific dates of the illness, the reason for the illness, and (in the case of personal illness) the employee’s fitness to return to work. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits employers and other entities covered by GINA Title II from requesting or requiring genetic information of an individual or family member of the individual, expect as specifically allowed by this law. To comply with this law, we ask that employees and health care providers do not provide any genetic information in any medical certification. “Genetic information”, as defined by GINA, includes an individual’s family medical history, the results of an individual’s or family members’ genetic tests, the fact that an individual or an individual’s family member sought or received genetic services, the genetic information of a fetus carried by an individual or an individual’s family member or an embryo lawfully held by an individual or family member receiving assistive reproductive services. Continuation of Health Insurance: Employees on an approved leave of absence other than family and medical leave may continue their insurance benefits at their own expense. Health insurance benefits for employees on paid leave and leave designated under the Family and Medical Leave Act will be paid by the district as they were prior to the leave. Otherwise, the district does not pay any portion for employees who are on unpaid leave. Under TRS-Active Care rules, an employee is no longer eligible for insurance through the district after six months of unpaid leave other than FML. If an employee’s unpaid leave extends for more than six months, the district will provide the employee with notice of COBRA rights. Personal leave Policy DEC (Local and Legal) State law entitles all employees to five days of paid personal leave per year. Personal leave is available for use at the beginning of the year. A day of personal leave is equivalent to an assigned workday. State personal leave accumulates 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 24 without limit, is transferable to other Texas school districts, and generally transfers to education service centers. Personal leave may be used for two general purposes: nondiscretionary and discretionary. Nondiscretionary - Leave that is taken for personal or family illness, family emergency, a death in the family, or active military service is considered nondiscretionary leave. Reasons for this type of leave allow very little, if any advance planning. Nondiscretionary leave may be used in the same manner as state sick leave. Discretionary - Leave that is taken at an employee’s discretion and that can be scheduled in advance is considered discretionary leave. An employee wishing to take discretionary personal leave must submit a request to his or her principals or supervisor 3 days in advance of the anticipated absence. The effect of the employee’s absence on the educational program or department operations, as well as the availability of substitutes, will be considered by the principal or supervisor. Discretionary personal leave will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis and will be subject to the following limitations: 1. A maximum of 2 campus employees or 5% in each job category will be permitted to take discretionary personal leave at the same time. 2. Discretionary leave may not last more than 5 consecutive workdays, except with special approval for extenuating circumstances. 3. Discretionary leave may not be taken on the following key days. Exceptions to the use of personal leave, if considered unusual or of an emergency nature, may be considered by the principal, department head or Superintendent. • • • • During any required professional or staff development or in-service or before the first day of student attendance at the beginning of the school year, except to complete a college course. One week before or one week after the end of each semester grading period and the first or last week of school. Two days before or two days after the Thanksgiving holidays, winter vacation, spring vacation, or other holidays designated by the District on the official school calendar. Two days before, during, and one day after any day designated for standardized testing of students that is required by the state or the District, end-of-semester or end-of-year exams. Sick leave State sick leave accumulated before 1995 is available for use and may be transferred to other school districts in Texas. State sick leave can be used only in whole or half day increments except in the following situations: • When coordinated with family and medical leave taken on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis • When coordinated with workers’ compensation benefits If an employee uses more sick leave than he or she has earned, the cost of unearned sick leave will be deducted from the employee’s next paycheck. Sick leave may be used for the following reasons only: • • • • • Employee illness Illness in the employee’s immediate family Family emergency (i.e., natural disasters or life-threatening situations) Death in the immediate family Active military service 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 25 Local leave All employees will have three local personal days and five leave days provided by the state. Local personal leave shall be non-cumulative and shall be taken with no loss of pay. Any unused local personal leave balance shall be reduced to zero immediately upon termination of employment with the District. An employee is not entitled to be paid for unused local personal leave upon resignation, non-renewal, or termination of employment. District State Leave Buy-Back Program Employees currently have the option to sell back days accumulated while employed at the District. This option may be rescinded at any time by the school board. All state leave days eligible for buy back shall be leave days accumulated while employed at the District. All days referred to in this policy shall be days accumulated while employed at the District. The maximum number of days purchased from any employee shall be 50 days (lifetime maximum). Any employee retiring through TRS may sell all of his or her days, up to the 50-day maximum. The employee does not need to hold ten days in reserve. The District shall buy back state leave days accumulated by each employee over ten days. Only days above ten accumulated state leave days shall be eligible for the buy-back program. Each May, employees shall be given notice of the number of eligible days he or she has to sell back to the District. Employees shall certify how many days the employee would like to sell back. This buy-back shall be paid out as supplemental pay in the employee’s June paycheck. For employees other than part-time employees, the buy-back rate shall be at the current professional substitute employee rate. For part-time employees (e.g., bus drivers), the buy-back rate shall be at one-half the professional substitute employee rate. If professional substitute employee rates increases, the buy-back rate shall increase accordingly. Family and Medical Leave Family and medical leave (FML)—general provisions The following text is from the federal notice, Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Specific information that the district has adopted to implement the FMLA follows this general notice. Basic Leave Entitlement. FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons: • • • • For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth; To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care; To care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job. Military Family Leave Entitlements. An eligible employee whose spouse, son, daughter or parent is on covered active duty or called to covered active duty status may use his or her 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 26 FMLA also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered service member during a single 12-month period. A covered servicemember is (1) a current member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the termporaray disability retired list for a serious injury or illness*; or (2) a veteran who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable at any time during the five-year period prior to the first date the eligible employee takes FMLS leave to care for the covered veteran, and who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness.* *The FMLS definitions of “serious injury or illness” for current servicemembers and veterans are distinct from the FMLA definition of “serious health condition”. Benefits and Protections. During FML leave, the employer must maintain the employee’s health coverage under any “group health plan” on the same terms as if the employee had continued to work. Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms. Use of FML cannot result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee’s leave. Eligibility Requirements. Employees are eligible if they have worked for a covered employer for at least one year, for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and if at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles. Definition of Serious Health Condition. A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves either an overnight stay in a medical care facility, or continuing treatment by a health care provider for a condition that either prevents the employee from performing the functions of the employee’s job, or prevents the qualified family member from participating in school or other daily activities. Subject to certain conditions, the continuing treatment requirement may be met by a period of incapacity of more than 3 consecutive calendar days combined with at least two visits to a health care provider or one visit and a regimen of continuing treatment, or incapacity due to pregnancy, or incapacity due to a chronic condition. Other conditions may meet the definition of continuing treatment. Use of Leave. An employee does not need to use this leave entitlement in one block. Leave can be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule when medically necessary. Employees must make reasonable efforts to schedule leave for planned medical treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the employer’s operations. Leave due to qualifying exigencies may also be taken on an intermittent basis. Substitution of Paid Leave for Unpaid Leave. Employees may choose or employers may require use of accrued paid leave while taking FML when the need is foreseeable. When 30 days notice is not possible, the employee must provide notice as soon as practicable and generally must comply with an employer’s normal call-in procedures. Employee Responsibilities. Employees must provide 30 days advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need is foreseeable. When 30 days notice is not possible, the employee must provide notice as soon as practicable and generally must comply with an employer’s normal call-in procedures. Employees must provide sufficient information for the employer to determine if the leave may qualify for FMLA protection and the anticipated timing and duration of the leave. Sufficient information may include that the employee is unable to perform job functions, the family member is unable to perform daily activities, the need for hospitalization or continuing 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 27 treatment by a health care provider, or circumstances supporting the need for military family leave. Employees also must inform the employer if the requested leave is for a reason for which FMLA leave was previously taken or certified. Employees also may be required to provide a certification and periodic recertification supporting the need for leave. Employer Responsibilities. Covered employers must inform employees requesting leave whether they are eligible under FMLA. If they are the notice must specify any additional information required as well as the employees’ rights and responsibilities. If they are not eligible, the employer must provide a reason for the ineligibility. Covered employers must inform employees if leave will be designated as FML and the amount of leave counted against the employee’s leave entitlement. If the employer determines that the leave is not FML, the employer must notify the employee. Unlawful Acts by Employers. The FMLA makes it unlawful for any employer to: • Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right protected under FMLA; • Discharge or discriminate against any person for opposing any practice made unlawful by FMLA or for involvement in any proceeding under or relating to FMLA. Enforcement. An employee may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor or may bring a private lawsuit against an employer. FMLA does not affect any Federal or State law prohibiting discrimination, or supersede any State or local law or collective bargaining agreement which provides greater family or medical leave rights. FMLA section 109 (29 U.S.C. § 2619) required FMLA covered employers to post the text of this notice. Regulations 29 C.F.R. § 825.300 (a) may require additional disclosures. For additional information: 1-866-4US-WAGE (1-866-487-9243) TTY: 1-877-889-5627 www.wagehour.dol.gov Local Family and Medical Leave provisions Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in the 12-month period beginning on the first duty day of the school year Use of paid leave. FML runs concurrently with accrued sick and personal leave, temporary disability leave, compensatory time, assault leave, and absences due to a work-related illness or injury. The district will designate the leave as family and medical leave, if applicable, and notify the employee that accumulated leave will run concurrently. Combined leave for spouses. A husband and wife who are both employed by the district are limited to a combined total of 12 weeks of FMLA leave to care for a parent with a serious health condition; or for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. Military caregiver leave for spouses is limited to a combined total of 26 weeks. Intermittent leave. When medically necessary or in the case of a qualifying exigency, an employee may take leave intermittently or on a reduced schedule. The district does not permit the use of intermittent or reduced-schedule leave for the care of a newborn child or for adoption or placement of a child with the employee. District contact. Employees that require FML or have questions should contact the payroll clerk at 658-7823, ext. 18 for details on eligibility, requirements, and limitations. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 28 Temporary disability Certified Employees – Any full-time employee whose position requires certification from the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) is eligible for temporary disability leave. The purpose of temporary disability leave is to provide job protection to full-time educators who cannot work for an extended period of time because of a mental or physical disability of a temporary nature. Temporary disability leave must be taken as a continuous block of time. It may not be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule. Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated the same as any other temporary disability. A full-time educator may voluntarily request to be placed on temporary disability leave or be placed on leave involuntarily. Employees must request approval for temporary disability leave. An employee’s notification of need for extended absence due to the employee’s own medical condition shall be accepted as a request for temporary disability leave. The request must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming the employee’s inability to work and estimating a probable date of return. If disability leave is approved, the length of leave is no longer than 180 calendar days. If an employee is placed on temporary disability leave involuntarily, he or she has the right to request a hearing before the board of trustees. The employee may protest the action and present additional evidence of fitness to work. When an employee is ready to return to work, the Superintendent should be notified at least 30 days in advance. The return-to-work notice must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming that the employee is able to resume regular duties. Certified employees returning from leave will be reinstated to the school to which they were previously assigned if an appropriate position is available. If an appropriate position is not available, the employee may be assigned to another campus, subject to the approval of the campus principal. If a position is not available before the end of the school year, the employee will be reinstated to a position at the original campus at the beginning of the following school year. Workers’ compensation benefits DEC Local An employee absent from duty because of a job-related illness or injury may be eligible for workers’ compensation weekly income benefits if the absence exceeds seven calendar days. An employee receiving workers’ compensation wage benefits for a job-related injury may choose to use available, partial-day increments of sick leave or any other paid leave benefits to make up the difference between wage benefits and pre-injury or –illness wages. While an employee is receiving workers’ compensation wage benefits, the district will charge available leave proportionately so that the employee receives an amount equal to the employee’s regular salary. Assault leave Assault leave provides extended job income and benefits protection to an employee who is injured as the result of a physical assault suffered during the performance of his or her job. An injury is treated as an assault if the person causing the injury could be prosecuted for assault or could not be prosecuted only because that person’s age or mental capacity renders the person non-responsible for purposes of criminal liability. An employee who is physically assaulted at work may take all the leave time medically necessary (up to two years) to recover from the physical injuries he or she sustained. At the request of an employee, the district will immediately assign the employee to assault leave. Days of leave granted under the assault leave provision will not be deducted from accrued personal leave and must be coordinated with workers’ compensation benefits. Upon investigation the district may change the assault leave status and charge leave used against the employee’s accrued paid leave. The employee’s pay will be deducted if accrued paid leave is not available. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 29 Bereavement leave Use of state personal and/or state sick leave for death in the immediate family shall not exceed five workdays per leave occurrence, subject to approval of the district. State or local leave may be used for bereavement. Note: You must have state or local leave days accumulated in your account or the leave will result in a reduction of pay for days missed. Jury duty Employees will receive leave with pay and without loss of accumulated leave for jury duty. Employees must present documentation of the service and will be allowed to retain any compensation they receive. Other court appearances Employees will be paid while on leave to comply with a valid subpoena to appear in a civil, criminal, legislative, or administrative proceeding and will not be required to use paid leave. Other absences for court appearances related to an employee’s personal business must be taken as personal leave or leave without pay (if no personal leave is available). Employees may be required to submit documentation of their need for leave for court appearances. Military leave Paid leave for Military Service - Any employee who is a member of the Texas National Guard, Texas State Guard, or reserve component of the United States Armed Forces will be granted a paid leave of absence without loss of any accumulated leave for authorized training or duty orders. Paid military leave will not exceed 15 days each federal fiscal year (October 1–September 30). In addition, an employee is entitled to use available state and local personal or sick leave during a time of active military service. Reemployment after military leave. Employees who leave the district to enter into the United States uniformed services or who are ordered to active state military duty (Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard) may return to employment if they are honorably discharged. Employees who wish to return to the district will be reemployed in the position they would have held if employment had not been interrupted or reassigned to an equivalent or similar position provided they can be qualified to perform the required duties. To be eligible for reemployment, employees must provide notice of their obligation or intent to perform military service, provide evidence of honorable discharge or release, and submit an application for reemployment to the superintendent’s office. In most cases, the length of military service cannot exceed five years, and the employee must apply for reemployment within the period of time specified in law. Continuation of health insurance - Employees who perform service in the uniformed services may elect to continue their health plan coverage for a period not to exceed 24 months. Employees should contact the district’s payroll clerk for details on eligibility, requirements, and limitations. TRAVEL POLICY POLICY DEE Use of GCISD Vehicles If available, a school vehicle should be utilized for school-related travel instead of requesting mileage allocations. School vehicles can be requested using a Trip Request Form, and should be filed well in advance of travel. School vehicles are assigned considering reservation order, length of trip, number of passengers, fuel cost savings, etc. All other factors being equal, student travel will have priority over staff travel. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 30 School vehicles will be issued with a fuel card and drivers are responsible for fueling upon return. Travel accounts will be charged for actual vehicle fuel costs, rather than any per-mile surcharge used for bus travel. Cleaning fees may be assessed to travel accounts if vehicles are returned in dirty condition. In the event that a school vehicle is unavailable, mileage allocation may be requested on Travel Vouchers. The vehicles owned by the Grape Creek ISD may be used by qualified employees for any travel in direct support of official District business. A qualified employee is one who meets the standards set by the Department of Public Safety Driver Responsibility Program’s point system. The vehicle must be driven to and from the Grape Creek ISD Transportation Department due to federal income tax requirements regarding driving business vehicles to and from a residence. The following procedures apply: 1. The district-owned vehicles will be controlled through the transportation office. 2. District employees may reserve the district-owned vehicles no less than five days in advance. 3. Requests to use rental vehicles for travel outside of the San Angelo vicinity must be approved by the Superintendent, Business Director, Transportation Director or Campus Administrator. 4. A trip packet will be picked up from the Transportation Department immediately prior to using the district-owned vehicles. This packet will contain: a. the vehicle keys b. cell phone c. a gasoline credit card, if needed. d. field trip request with authorized signatures, mileage code and driver code, if applicable. 5. Upon return to the district, the packet will be returned to the GCISD Transportation Office with the completed trip request and fuel credit card receipts. 6. Charges for use of district-owned vehicles will be made to the travel budget code of the user at the rate of fuel usage cost based on our district mileage chart. If approved for reimbursement, the district pays the state rate per mile for personal car mileage. The GCISD Business Office will bill the using campus or department monthly from the trip request. Payment will be made by completion of an expense voucher in the same manner as other in-district charges. 7. No personal vehicles are permitted inside the bus yard fence at any time. Personal vehicles must be parked outside the fenced area. A secure, locked parking area is available across the street from the bus barn. Keys to the area are included with the district vehicle keys. Instructions for Staff Travel 1. Before any travel expenses are incurred by an employee, the employee’s supervisor must give approval. Reimbursement for approved travel expenses incurred by all district employees is requested on a monthly basis by submitting an approved travel voucher to the Business Office (see form, pg. 98). This form and appropriate instructions have been incorporated into a word processing program, which can be obtained through the Business Office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 31 All departure and arrival times must be entered for each trip – whether or not meals are claimed. The reason for the trip and a contact person and phone number and/or organization must be shown. Be sure that the “Reason for the Trip” space reflects a district program which relates to the fund number shown in the accounting information. Entries should be made for each day for which travel expenses are claimed. All charges other than mileage or meals must be validated by a receipt attached to the travel voucher (seminar fees, parking, taxi fares, etc.). Registration fees for specific professional growth activities will be reimbursed (seminars, conventions, etc.) Regular dues and fees to professional organizations are not reimbursable expenses unless they are required for certification. 2. When more than one person travels from district headquarters, administrators are requested to coordinate travel to ensure maximum use and cost effectiveness of transportation. Reimbursement shall be based on the following travel allowance schedule: 1 – 4 participants: 5 – 8 participants: 9 – 10 participants: 1 car 2 cars 3 cars In the event that fewer than five people attend an approved function and more than one car is driven from district headquarters for which district travel funds are provided, the campus administrator or supervisor must decide which person shall be reimbursed. Note: Any exception to this policy must be requested in writing to the superintendent. 3. When two or more participants travel in a single private automobile, only one shall receive reimbursement for mileage. 4. Mileage is charged or reimbursed from GCISD headquarters or the employee’s home (whichever is fewer miles) to valid destinations based on the mileage chart (see chart on page 36). Out of state distances will be reimbursed based on a current road map, using the most direct, practical route. If deviation from the direct route is necessary, document the reason (pick up someone, etc.) under the “Comments” section. In-town (San Angelo) must be documented in the same way as cross-country mileage (departure, time/point, purpose, and person or organization contacted) and must relate to official district duties; i.e., to and from a meeting place. Trips to and from restaurants and other personal trips may not be included. Employees traveling to homes of clients (parents/students) shall be reimbursed for mileage based on the odometer reading. Odometer readings shall reflect mileage from district headquarters or employee’s home, whichever is fewer, to a valid destination. 5. Employees will be reimbursed for meals only when the employee is away from the district headquarters for approved travel. Meals will only be reimbursed for travel outside the Grape Creek/San Angelo vicinity. When fewer than three meals are claimed, the reimbursement will be for actual cost not to exceed the following amounts and shall not exceed $25.00 per day. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 32 GCISD APPROVED MEAL REIMBURSEMENT ALLOWANCE Claimed Meal Within GCISD UIL District Outside GCISD UIL District Breakfast Lunch Dinner Meal Allowance Total $ 6.50 $ 8.50 $10.00 $25.00 $ 7.50 $10.00 $18.50 $36.00 Please Note This Exception: If the activity is funded through federal funds, the employee must submit receipts for all expenses and return any unused money following the trip. Meals for a full day will be reimbursed at a rate of $25.00 per day within the UIL district Grape Creek ISD is assigned or $36.00 per day outside the assigned UIL district. For the purpose of meal allowance claims, the following time frames shall constitute a full day: Departure from district headquarters prior to 6:30 a.m. and return to district headquarters after 6:30 p.m. shall be considered a full day. All other times shall be considered partial days. To claim lunch, departure from district headquarters must be before 11:00 a.m. and return to district headquarters after 2:30 p.m. Meals included as a part of registration fees or a luncheon or dinner meeting shall not be reimbursed. If luncheon or dinner meetings are a part of the registration fee or must be paid with the registration fee before attendance, then the employee shall not charge for this meal on his/her travel voucher. Gratuity/tips will not be reimbursed. 6. Lodging will be reimbursed on the basis of actual charges, verified by a receipt attached to the travel voucher. Any lodging costs in excess of the Texas State rate per day must have prior approval of the Superintendent or Business Manager, and the excess amount will be distributed to an appropriate local fund. Staff members are instructed to enter these excess charges on a separate line of the accounting information of the travel voucher, leaving the budget code to be charged blank. The Business Office staff will determine the appropriate local budget code. All staff members shall file with each motel or hotel a Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate (see form on page 100) on approved overnight business trips. 7. Only charges assessed by motels and hotels for local calls can be considered as a travel expense. 8. Parking and/or taxi fares are reimbursable with proper receipts. Unless general parking is FULL, valet parking will not be permitted. No sales tax on parking fees will be reimbursed. 9. Registration fees for conventions, etc., should be shown under “Other Travel Expenses.” 10. If any employee of the District performs a service for or in conjunction with another agency and that agency is to provide reimbursement for travel and/or other expenses or pay an honorarium to that employee, such reimbursement will be made payable to the Grape Creek Independent School District. The employee will be reimbursed in accordance with the Grape Creek ISD reimbursement policy. This procedure does not apply to approved independent activities engaged in by employees on their personal time. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 33 11. Out-of-state travel must be requested using the Out-of-State Travel Request and must be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor and must receive final approval of the Superintendent. 12. Travel expenses may be requested via Travel Voucher or Requisition. In either case, expenses should be requested no later than one week prior to the regular check run of the week of travel (usually Wednesday mornings). Note: Staff members who are out of the district on the day travel vouchers are due should inform their immediate supervisor to prepare the travel voucher and submit it to the Business Office with a note that the person is out of the district. Employees for whom an unsigned voucher is submitted are responsible for coming to the Business Office and signing the voucher at the earliest possible date. Vouchers that are not signed by the processing date will not be processed for payment. Late vouchers will be processed around the middle of the month and checks issued around the 20th of the month. No requisitions should be completed for travel expenses. Instead, all travel expenses should be recorded on a travel voucher. Any itineraries and registration forms must accompany vouchers. There is a five (5)-day minimum advance notice for any check. Instructions for Consultants Contracting with independent consultants for staff development or other technical assistance must be approved in advance by the Superintendent. To file consultant expenses, please follow the guidelines listed below: 1. Use the Consultant Contract form (obtained from business office). Complete all information as mentioned above for Staff Activities and Travel Information plus add amount of consultant’s honorarium, number of days, rate, signature of consultant, and Social Security Number. 2. All consultants will be employed via a consultant contract to include dates, services to be performed, reimbursement information, and honorarium. 3. A copy of the contract will be attached to the travel voucher for the consultant. Transportation for Students 1. Transportation costs for students will be paid from approved and appropriate budget functions and program intent codes. 2. All student transportation requests must be made using the Field Trip Bus Request and must be approved in advance by the campus principal and submitted to and approved by the Director of Transportation. 3. All student transportation must be in approved district vehicles and buses. Any exceptions to this policy must be submitted in writing to and receive prior approval by the Superintendent. 4. Approved transportation requests must be submitted to the GCISD Director of Transportation no less than five days prior to scheduled event. 5. It is the responsibility of the GCISD Director of Transportation to secure an approved bus driver and prepare an approved district vehicle or bus for the scheduled student transportation and event. 6. The Director of Transportation will send written or email notification and verification of the approved scheduled transportation request to the campus administration and student sponsor. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 34 7. Charges for use of district-owned vehicles will be made to the travel budget code of the user department as set by the District and a driver wage per hour if driver is required. Mileage will be based on the district mileage chart (See page 36). If the department provides its own driver, no driver wage will be charged. The GCISD business office will post expenses to the campus or department monthly from the trip requests. 8. If the district participates in an event that is over 300 miles round trip, the district may charter a bus or may provide a driver for the event. Every attempt should be made to minimize the number of vehicles taken to each event. This may mean combining groups or teams traveling to the same destination. Coaches with CDL certifications are required to drive to sporting events less than 200 miles round trip. For events in excess of 200 miles round trip, the transportation department may provide a driver. It is preferred that an attempt be made to provide two CDL-certified bus drivers on each trip. Coaches with valid CDL’s are required to obtain bus certifications and pass Department of Transportation physicals and drug tests. A field trip driver evaluation form must be completed and returned to Dave Augustine in the transportation department upon completion of the trip and if a driver was supplied through the transportation department. Student Meal Allowances for Travel: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Total $5.00 $7.00 $7.00 $19.00 *Please refer to Extracurricular Requisition Report Form on page 97. Miscellaneous Travel Information 1. If an employee or consultant is accompanied by a spouse or family member not entitled to reimbursement on an overnight trip, the lodging receipt must show the single rate (for which reimbursement will be made), and the rate must be initialed by a hotel employee. 2. When employees or consultants share a room, each person must obtain a receipt for his/her portion and attach it to the respective travel voucher. 3. Only business related telephone calls, local or long distance, will be paid on travel voucher for district employees. Approved business telephone charges should be shown under “Other Travel Expenses” on the travel voucher. Personal calls, local or long distance, made by employees will not be reimbursed. No telephone calls, local or long distance, will be paid on travel vouchers for non-district employees or consultants. 4. When approved airline tickets are charged to the district for any type of travel (consultant or employee or any other), a purchase order must be issued. When the ticket is received, attach a copy of the ticket to the receipt copy (pink) of the purchase order and forward to the Business Office. 5. Do not use the travel voucher to document activities for the sake of accounting for your time. If there is no reimbursable travel expenses connected to your activity, it must not be shown on the travel voucher. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 35 GRAPE CREEK ISD MILEAGE CHART Destination Miles/Round Trip Destination Miles/Round Trip ABILENE 188 IRION 200 ALPINE 480 JIM NED 163 ANDREWS 297 JUNCTION 202 ANSON 240 KERMIT 410 AUSTIN 416 LAMESA 274 BALLINGER 82 LEAKEY 346 BANGS 191 LUBBOCK 376 BIG LAKE 165 MASON 245 BIG SPRING 185 MCCAMEY 262 BRADY 162 MENARD 158 BRONTE 84 MERKEL 218 BROWNWOOD 202 MERTZON 15 CARLSBAD 20 MIDLAND 210 CHRISTOVAL 65 MILES 60 CLYDE 230 MONAHANS 330 COAHOMA 208 ODESSA 282 COLEMAN 148 OZONA 184 COLLEGE STATION 618 RANKIN 220 COLORADO CITY 169 ROBERT LEE 80 CORPUS CHRISTI 714 ROSCOE 180 CRANE 285 SAN ANTONIO 428 CROSS PLAINS 366 SAN MARCOS 522 DALLAS 514 SAN SABA 265 DEL RIO 342 SEMINOLE 301 DENVER CITY 356 SNYDER 222 EARLY 218 SONORA 138 EASTLAND 315 STAMFORD 256 EDEN 98 STANTON 76 EL PASO 814 STERLING CITY 72 ELDORADO 96 SWEETWATER 162 FORSAN 160 TUSCOLA 165 FORT WORTH 454 VERIBEST 48 FREDERICKSBURG 316 WACO 438 GARDEN CITY 140 WALL 40 GOLDWAITHE 98 WATER VALLEY 34 GREENWOOD 222 WINK 380 HAWLEY 230 WINTERS 125 HOUSTON 736 WYLIE 168 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 36 EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS Employee recognition and appreciation Continuous efforts are made throughout the year to recognize employees who make an extra effort to contribute to the success of the district. Employees are recognized at board meetings, in the district publications, and through special events and activities. Recognition and appreciation activities also include an annual appreciation event. District communications Throughout the school year, the district publishes newsletters, brochures, fliers, calendars, news releases, and other communication materials. These publications offer employees and the community information pertaining to school activities and achievements. All public information pieces (print, announcements, etc.) must be approved by the district’s communications specialist and the campus administrator or superintendent prior to release and publication. For further information regarding district communications, contact the district communications specialist at 658-7823, ext. 1000. Media Contacts All contacts by the media should be referred to the district communications specialist. Appointments for interviews or photographs will be arranged from that office. The communications specialist must approve all news items or photographs before they are sent to the media. In crisis situations, direct all media to the communications specialist or the superintendent. Never permit interviews with students or staff on the premises during a crisis and do not permit filming inside the building except in the spokesperson's office or designated media room. Never disclose personal information about any staff member or student to any representative from the media. Before any scheduled new coverage is arranged, including pre-arranged sports coverage, the district’s administration office should be contacted at 658-7823, ext. 1000. District Publications Periodically, electronic newsletters or informal emails will be sent throughout the district announcing student and staff achievement. Please send a copy of any news item to Teri Deweber, District Communications Specialist, for possible inclusion on the district website, in district emails and submission to the San Angelo Standard-Times. If there is an upcoming event that needs to be included in one of these publications, please notify Mrs. Deweber as soon as possible so arrangements can be made to attend the event and gather information and photographs. To help inform of campus activities, copies of all campus newsletters are to be sent to Mrs. Deweber's attention as soon as possible. Items may be sent interoffice mail to the administration offices or emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 658-8719. Complaints and grievances Policy DGBA In an effort to hear and resolve employee concerns or complaints in a timely manner and at the lowest administrative level possible, the board has adopted an orderly grievance process. Employees are encouraged to discuss problems or complaints with their supervisors or an appropriate administrator at any time. The formal grievance process provides all employees with an opportunity to be heard up to the highest level of management if they are dissatisfied with an administrative response. Once all administrative grievance procedures are exhausted, employees can bring concerns or complaints to the board of trustees. The district’s policy concerning the process of bringing complaints and grievances can be viewed online at the district's website: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DGBA(LOCAL).pdf 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 37 EMPLOYEE CONDUCT AND WELFARE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Policy DH All employees are expected to work together in a cooperative spirit to serve the best interests of the district and to be courteous to students, one another, and the public. Employees are expected to observe the following standards of conduct: • • • • • • • • Recognize and respect the rights and property of students, parents, other employees and members of the community Maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to students and coworkers. Report to work according to the assigned schedule. Notify their immediate supervisor in advance or as early as possible in the event that they must be absent or late. Unauthorized absences, chronic absenteeism, tardiness and failure to follow procedures for reporting an absence may be cause for disciplinary action. Know and comply with department and district procedures and policies. Express concerns, complaints, or criticism through appropriate channels. Observe all safety rules and regulations and report injuries or unsafe conditions to a supervisor immediately. Use district time, funds, and property for authorized district business and activities only. All district employees should perform their duties in accordance with state and federal law, district policies and procedures, and ethical standards. Violation of policies, regulations, or guidelines may result in disciplinary action, including termination. Alleged incidents of certain misconduct by educators, including having a criminal record, must be reported to SBEC not later than the seventh day the superintendent first learns of the incident. See Reports to the Texas Education Agency on page 57 for additional information. The Educators’ Code of Ethics, adopted by the State Board of Educator Certification, which all district employees must adhere to, is reprinted below: Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics Purpose and Scope The Texas educator shall comply with standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials, parents, and members of the community and shall safeguard academic freedom. The Texas educator, in maintaining the dignity of the profession, shall respect and obey the law, demonstrate personal integrity, and exemplify honesty and good moral character. The Texas educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, shall extend just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession. The Texas educator, in accepting a position of public trust, shall measure success by the progress of each student toward realization of his or her potential as an effective citizen. The Texas educator, in fulfilling responsibilities in the community, shall cooperate with parents and others to improve the public schools of the community. (19 TAC 247.1(b)) 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 38 Enforceable Standards – 1. Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices, and Performance. Standard 1.1. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly or recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district, educational institution, educator preparation program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) and its certification process. Standard 1.2. The educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. Standard 1.3. The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay. Standard 1.4. The educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage. Standard 1.5. The educator shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair professional judgment or to obtain special advantage. This standard shall not restrict the acceptance of gifts or tokens offered and accepted openly from students, parents of students, or other persons or organizations in recognition or appreciation of service. Standard 1.6. The educator shall not falsify records, or direct or coerce others to do so. Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other state and federal laws. Standard 1.8. The educator shall apply for, accept, offer, or assign a position or a responsibility on the basis of professional qualifications. Standard 1.9. The educator shall not make threats of violence against school district employees, school board members, Students, or parents of students. Standard 1.10.The educator shall be of good moral character and be worthy to instruct or supervise the youth of this state. Standard 1.11.The educator shall not intentionally or knowingly misrepresent his or her employment history, criminal History, and/or disciplinary record when applying for subsequent employment. Standard 1.12.The educator shall refrain from the illegal use or distribution of controlled substances and/or abuse of Prescription drugs and toxic inhalants. Standard 1.13.The educator shall not consume alcoholic beverages on school property or during school activities when students are present. 2. Ethical Conduct toward Professional Colleagues. Standard 2.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential health or personnel information concerning colleagues unless 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 39 disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. Standard 2.2. The educator shall not harm others by knowingly making false statements about a colleague or the school system. Standard 2.3. The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel. Standard 2.4. The educator shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities. Standard 2.5. The educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, family status or sexual orientation. Standard 2.6. The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues. Standard 2.7. The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with the SBEC or who provides information for a disciplinary investigation or proceeding under this chapter. 3. Ethical Conduct toward Students. Standard 3.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. Standard 3.2. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the student or minor. Standard 3.3. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly or recklessly misrepresent facts regarding a student. Standard 3.4. The educator shall not exclude a student from participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage to a student on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, national origin, religion, family status or sexual orientation. Standard 3.5. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly or recklessly engage in physical mistreatment, neglect or abuse of a student or minor. Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit or engage in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor. Standard 3.7. The educator shall not furnish alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child or knowingly allow any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs in the presence of the educator. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 40 Standard 3.8. The educator shall maintain appropriate professional educator-student relationships and boundaries based on a reasonably prudent educator standard. Standard 3.9. The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including, but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communication. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to: (i) the nature, purpose, timing, and amount of the communication; (ii) the subject matter of the communication; (iii) whether the communication was made openly or the educator attempted to conceal the communication; (iv) whether the communication could be reasonably interpreted as soliciting sexual contact or a romantic relationship; (v) whether the communication was sexually explicit; and (vi) whether the communication involved discussion(s) of the physical or sexual attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preferences, or fantasies of either the educator or the student. Discrimination, Harrassment and Retaliation Policies DH, DIA Employees shall not engage in prohibited harassment, including sexual harassment, of other employees or students. While acting in the course of their employment, employees shall not engage in prohibited harassment of other persons, including board members, vendors, contractors, volunteers, or parents. A substantial charge of harassment will result in disciplinary action. Employees who believe they have been discriminated or retaliated against or harassed are encouraged to promptly report such incidents to the campus principal, supervisor, or appropriate district official. If the campus principal or supervisor is the subject of a complaint, the employee should report the complaint directly to the superintendent. A complaint against the superintendent may be made directly to the board. The district’s policy that includes definitions and procedures for reporting and investigating discrimination, harassment and retaliation is located online at: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DIA(LOCAL).pdf Harassment of Students Policies DF, DH, FFG, FFH Sexual and other harassment of students by employees are forms of discrimination and are prohibited by law. Romantic or inappropriate social relationship between students and district employees are prohibited. Employees who suspect a student may have experienced prohibited harassment are obligated to report their concerns to the campus principal or other appropriate district official. All allegations of prohibited harassment or abuse of a student by an employee or adult will be reported to the student’s parents and promptly investigated. An employee who knows of or suspects child abuse must also report his or her knowledge or suspicion to the appropriate authorities, as required by law. See Reporting Suspected Child Abuse page 42 and Bullying, page 60 for additional information. The district’s policy that includes definitions and procedures for reporting and investigating harassment of students is located online at: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFH(LOCAL).pdf 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 41 and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFH(LEGAL).pdf and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFG(LEGAL).pdf Employee-to-employee Sexual harassment of a coworker is a form of discrimination and is prohibited by law. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct under the following conditions: • Submission to such conduct is explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment. • Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions. • The conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or otherwise offensive work environment. Employees who believe that they have been sexually harassed by another employee are encouraged to come forward with complaints. The district will promptly investigate all allegations of sexual harassment and will take prompt appropriate disciplinary action against employees found to have engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment of other employees. Reporting Suspected Child Abuse Policies DF, DG, DH, FFG, GRA All employees are required by state law to report any suspected child abuse or neglect to a law enforcement agency, Child Protective Services, or appropriate state agency (e.g., state agency operating, licensing, certifying, or registering the facility) within 48 hours of the event that led to the suspicion. Abuse is defined by SBEC and includes the following acts or omissions: • • • • Mental or emotional injury to a student or minor that results in an observable and material impairment in the student’s or minor’s development, learning or psychological functioning; Causing or permitting a student or minor to be in a situation in which the student or minor sustains a mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in the student’s or minor’s development, learning or psychological functioning; Physical injury that results in substantial harm to a student or minor, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the student or minor, including any injury that is at variance with the history or explanation given and excluding an accident or reasonable discipline; or Sexual conduct harmful to a student’s or minor’s mental, emotional or physical welfare. Employees are also required to make a report if they have cause to believe that an adult was a victim of abuse or neglect as a child and they determine in good faith that the disclosure of the information is necessary to protect the health and safety of another child or disabled person. Reports to Child Protective Services can be made to 657-7396 or to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400. State law specifies that an employee may not delegate to or rely on another person or administrator to make the report. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 42 Under state law, any person reporting or assisting in the investigation of reported child abuse or neglect is immune from liability unless the report is made in bad faith or with malicious intent. In addition, the district is prohibited from retaliating against an employee who, in good faith, reports child abuse or neglect or who participates in an investigation regarding an allegation of child abuse or neglect. An employee’s failure to make the required report may result in prosecution as a Class A misdemeanor. In addition, a certified employee’s failure to report may result in disciplinary procedures by SBEC for a violation of the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators. Employees who suspect that a student has been or may be abused or neglected should also report their concerns to the campus principal. This includes students with disabilities who are no longer minors. Employees are not required to report their concerns to the principal before making a report to the appropriate agency. Reporting the concern to the principal does not relieve the employee of the requirement to report it to the appropriate state agency. In addition, employees must cooperate with investigators of child abuse and neglect. Interference with a child abuse investigation by denying an interviewer’s request to interview a student at school or requiring the presence of a parent or school administrator against the desires of the duly authorized investigator is prohibited. Sexual Abuse and Maltreatment of Children The district has established a plan for addressing child sexual abuse, which may be accessed at www.grapecreekisd.net. As an employee, it is important for you to be aware of warning signs that could indicate a child may have been or is being sexually abused. Sexual abuse in the Texas Family Code is defined as any sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare as well as a failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct with a child. Anyone who suspects that a child has been or may be abused or neglected has a legal responsibility under state law for reporting the suspected abuse or neglect to law enforcement or to Child Protective Services (CPS). Employees are required to follow the procedures described above in Reporting Suspected Child Abuse. Technology Resources Policy CQ The district’s technology resources, including its network access to the Internet, are primarily for administrative and instructional purposes. Limited personal use is permitted if the use: • Imposes no tangible cost to the district • Does not unduly burden the district’s computer or network resources • Has no adverse effect on job performance or on a student’s academic performance Electronic mail transmissions and other use of technology resources are not confidential and can be monitored at any time to ensure appropriate use. Employees who are authorized to use the systems are required to abide by the provisions of the district’s acceptable use policy and administrative procedures. Failure to do so can result in suspension of access or termination of privileges and may lead to disciplinary action. Employees with questions about computer use and data management can contact their supervisor or the technology director. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 43 PERSONAL USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA Policy CQ, DH Electronic media includes all forms of social media, such as text messaging, instant messaging, electronic mail (e-mail), Web logs (blogs), electronic forums (chat rooms), video-sharing Web sites (e.g. YouTube), editorial comments posted on the Internet, and social network sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn). Electronic media also includes all forms of telecommunication such as landlines, cell phones, and Web-based applications. As role models for the district’s students, employees are responsible for their public conduct even when they are not acting as district employees. Employees will be held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct. If an employee’s use of electronic media interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his or her job duties, the employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. If an employee wishes to use a social network site or similar media for personal purposes, the employee is responsible for the content on the employee’s page, including content added by the employee, the employee’s friends, or members of the public who can access the employee’s page, and for Web links on the employee’s page. The employee is also responsible for maintaining privacy settings appropriate to the content. An employee who uses electronic media for personal purposes shall observe the following: • The employee may not set up or update the employee’s personal social network page(s) using the district’s computers, network, or equipment. • The employee shall not use the district’s logo or other copyrighted material of the district without express, written consent. • The employee continues to be subject to applicable state and federal laws, local policies, administrative regulations, and the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, even when communicating regarding personal and private matters, regardless of whether the employee is using private or public equipment, on or off campus. These restrictions include: o Confidentiality of student records. [See Policy FL] o Confidentiality of health or personnel information concerning colleagues, unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. [See Policy DH (EXHIBIT)] o Confidentiality of district records, including educator evaluations and private e-mail addresses. [See Policy GBA] o Copyright law [See Policy CY] o Prohibition against harming others by knowingly making false statements about a colleague or the school system. [See Policy DH (EXHIBIT)] See Use of Electronic Media with Students below for regulations on employee communication with students through electronic media. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 44 USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA WITH STUDENTS Policy DH A certified or license employee, or any other employee designated in writing by the superintendent or a campus principal, may communicate through electronic media with students who are currently enrolled in the district. The employee must comply with the provisions outlined below. All other employees are prohibited from communicating with students who are enrolled in the district through electronic media. An employee is not subject to these provisions to the extent the employee has a social or family relationship with a student. For example, an employee may have a relationship with a niece or nephew, a student who is the child of an adult friend, a student who is a friend of the employee’s child, or a member or participant in the same civic, social, recreational or religious organization. The following definitions apply for the use of electronic media with students: • Electronic media includes all forms of social media, such as text messaging, instant messaging, electronic mail (email), Web logs (blogs), electronic forums (chat rooms), video-sharing Web sites (e.g., YouTube), editorial comments posted on the Internet, and social network sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn). Electronic media also includes all forms of telecommunication such as landlines, cell phones and Web-based applications. • Communicate means to convey information and includes a one-way communication as well as a dialogue between two or more people. A public communication by an employee that is not targeted at students (e.g., a posting on the employee’s personal social network page or a blog) is not a communication: however, the employee may be subject to district regulations on personal electronic communications. See Personal Use of Electronic Media, above. Unsolicited contact from a student through electronic means is not a communication. • Certified or licensed employee means a person employed in a position requiring SBEC certification or a professional license, and whose job duties may require the employee to communicate electronically with students. The term includes classroom teachers, counselors, principals, librarians, paraprofessionals, nurses, educational diagnosticians, licensed therapists and athletic trainers. An employee who uses electronic media to communicate with students shall observe the following: • The employee may use any form of electronic media except text messaging. Only a teacher, trainer, or other employee who has an extracurricular duty may use text messaging and then only to communicate with students who participate in the extracurricular activity over which the employee has responsibility. • The employee shall limit communications to matters within the scope of the employee’s professional responsibilities (e.g., for classroom teachers, matters relating to class work, homework, and tests; for an employee with an extracurricular duty, matters relating to the extracurricular activity). • The employee is prohibited from knowingly communicating with students through a personal social network page; the employee must create a separate social network page (“professional page”) for the purpose of communicating with students. The employee must enable administration and parents to access the employee’s professional page. • The employee shall not communicate directly with any student between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. An employee may, however, make public posts to a social network site, blog, or similar application at any time. • The employee does not have a right to privacy with respect to communications with students and parents. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 45 • The employee continues to be subject to applicable state and federal laws, local policies, administrative regulations, and the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators including: o Compliance with the Public Information Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), including retention and confidentiality of student records. [See Policies CPC and FL] o Copyright law [Policy CY] o Prohibitions against soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student. [See Policy DF] • Upon request from administration, an employee will provide the phone number(s), social network site(s), or other information regarding the method(s) of electronic media the employee uses to communicate with any one or more currently-enrolled students. • Upon written request from a parent or student, the employee shall discontinue communicating with the student through e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging or any other form of one-to-one communication. An employee may request an exception from one or more of the limitations above by submitting a written request to his or her immediate supervisor. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ACCEPTABLE USE We are steadily acquiring computers for school use and access to other instructional and research resources through connections to the Internet and the World Wide Web. These electronic instructional resources are for use at school and for school-related purposes. Before you are permitted to receive a User Identification and password to use school computers, must sign a User Agreement that explains acceptable and unacceptable use of school educational technology. The following kinds of use of the school’s equipment or network are classified as unacceptable under our policy and the User Agreement: 1. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material, including violating District software licensing agreements or installing any personal software on district equipment without approval of the Technology Coordinator. 2. Posting or distributing threatening, racist, harassing, excessively violent, or obscene material. 3. Personal political use to advocate for or against a position or a candidate, office-holder, political party, or political position. Research or electronic communications regarding political issues or candidates shall not be a violation when the activity is to fulfill an assignment for class credit. 4. Participating in chat rooms or instant messaging other than those sponsored and overseen by the District. 5. Tampering with anyone else’s computer, files, or e-mail. 6. “Hacking” i.e., attempting unauthorized access to any computer whether within the district’s network or outside it. 7. Any use that would be unlawful under state or federal law. 8. Unauthorized disclosure, use, or distribution of personal identification information regarding students or employees. 9. Forgery of messages or sending unsolicited junk e-mail chain messages. 10. Use that violates the student code of conduct. 11. Use related to commercial activities or for commercial gain. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 46 12. Advertisement for purchase or sale of a product. 13. Streaming (i.e. establishing an open connection with a site such as Audio Galaxy or Napster). INTERNET ACCESS ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY Internet conditions for use: 1. Acceptable Use: The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. Appropriate use includes research for class projects and communicating with fellow students in school and throughout the world. The system administrators and school technology committee will determine what inappropriate use is and their decision is final. The faculty and staff of Grape Creek ISD upon the recommendation of the system administrators and technology committee may request the administration to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts. 2. Unlawful Transmissions: Transmission of any material in violation of any federal, state, district, of school regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material or material protected by trade secret. Use for commercial activities, product advertisements or political lobbying is also prohibited. 3. Netiquette: You are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. 4. Be polite. Do not get abusive in your messages to others. Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language. Illegal activities are strictly forbidden. Do not reveal your personal user ID, password, address or phone number (including that of other students or colleagues) to anyone. You can be implicated for the actions of others if your user ID, password, etc. is used while infractions are committed. Intentionally providing computer access by loaning or sharing your user ID to another person is prohibited. Note that electronic mail (E-mail) is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all mail. All files passing through our network are subject to be viewed or scanned at any time by an administrator. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to legal authorities. Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by other users and/or waste network resources. All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property. Do not access or change others’ files or computer accounts. Warranties: Grape Creek ISD makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service provided by and will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, nondeliveries, misdeliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions. Grape Creek ISD specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 47 5. Security: Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem on the Internet, you must notify a system administrator, principal, or teacher. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Attempts to login to the Internet as system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the Internet. 6. Vandalism: Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or any of the above listed agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet backbone. This includes, but not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses. 7. Updating Your User Information: Internet may occasionally require new registration and account information from you to continue the service. You must notify the administrators of any changes in your account information (address, password, etc.). Currently, there are no user fees for this service. 8. Exception of Terms and Conditions: All terms and conditions as stated in this document are applicable to the Grape Creek ISD users. These terms and conditions reflect the entire agreement of the parties and supersede all prior oral or written agreements and understanding of the parties. Criminal history background checks Policy DBAA Employees may be subject to a review of their criminal history record information at any time during employment. National criminal history checks based on an individual’s fingerprints, photo, and other identification will be conducted on certain employees and entered into the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Clearinghouse. This database provides the district and SBEC with access to an employee’s current national criminal history and updates to the employee’s subsequent criminal history. Employee arrests and convictions Policy DH An employee must notify his or her principal or immediate supervisor within three calendar days of any arrest, indictment, conviction, no contest or guilty plea, or other adjudication of any felony, and any of the other offenses listed below: • Crimes involving school property or funds • Crimes involving attempt by fraudulent or unauthorized means to obtain or alter any certificate or permit that would entitle any person to hold or obtain a position as an educator • Crimes that occur wholly or in part of school property or at a school-sponsored activity • Crimes involving moral turpitude Moral turpitude includes the following: • Dishonesty • Fraud • Deceit • Theft • Misrepresentation • Deliberate violence • Base, vile, or depraved acts that are intended to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 48 • Crimes involving any felony possession or conspiracy to possess, or any misdemeanor or felony transfer, sale, distribution, or conspiracy to transfer, sell or distribute any controlled substance. • Felonies involving driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol • Acts constituting abuse or neglect under the SBEC rules If an educator is arrested or criminally charged, the superintendent is also required to report the educator’s criminal history to the Division of Investigations at TEA. Alcohol and Drug-abuse prevention Policies DH, DI Grape Creek ISD is committed to maintaining an alcohol- and drug-free environment and will not tolerate the use of alcohol and illegal drugs in the workplace and at school-related or school-sanctioned activities on or off school property. Employees who use or are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs as defined by the Texas Controlled Substances Act during working hours may be dismissed. The district’s policies regarding drug use can be viewed in their entirety at the district website: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DH(LOCAL).pdf or http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DI(LEGAL).pdf or http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DI(LOCAL).pdf Tobacco use Policies DH, GKA, FNCD State law prohibits smoking or using tobacco products on all district-owned property and at school-related or schoolsanctioned activities, on or off campus. This includes all buildings, playground areas, parking facilities, and facilities used for athletics and other activities. Drivers of district-owned vehicles are prohibited from smoking while inside the vehicle. Notices stating that smoking is prohibited by law and punishable by a fine are displayed in prominent places in all school buildings. Fraud and financial impropriety Policy CAA All employees should act with integrity and diligence in duties involving the district’s financial resources. The district prohibits fraud and financial impropriety, as defined below. Fraud and financial impropriety includes the following: • • • • • • • • Forgery or unauthorized alteration of any document or account belonging to the district Forgery or unauthorized alteration of a check, bank draft, or any other financial document Misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies, or other district assets, including employee time Impropriety in the handling of money or reporting of district financial transactions Profiteering as a result of insider knowledge of district information or activities Unauthorized disclosure of confidential or proprietary information to outside parties Unauthorized disclosure of investment activities engaged in or contemplated by the district Accepting or seeking anything of material value from contractors, vendors, or other persons providing services or materials to the district 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 49 • • • • Destroying, removing, or inappropriately using records, furniture, fixtures, or equipment Failing to provide financial records required by state or local entities Failure to disclose conflicts of interest as required by policy Any other dishonest act regarding the finances of the district Conflict of interest Policies BBFA, DBD Employees are required to disclose to their supervisor any situation that creates a potential conflict of interest with proper discharge of assigned duties and responsibilities or creates a potential conflict of interest with the best interests of the district. This includes the following: • • • • A personal financial interest A business interest Any other obligation or relationship Non-school employment Gifts and favors Policy DBD Employees may not accept gift or favors that could influence, or be construed to influence, the employee’s discharge of assigned duties. The acceptance of a gift, favor, or service by an administrator or teacher that might reasonably tend to influence the selection of textbooks, electronic textbooks, instructional materials or technological equipment may result in prosecution of a Class B misdemeanor offense. This does not include staff development, teacher training, or instructional materials, such as maps or worksheets, that convey information to students or contribute to the learning process. Copyrighted materials Policy EFE Employees are expected to comply with the provisions of federal copyright law relating to the unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, performance, or display of copyrighted materials (i.e., printed material, videos, computer data and programs, etc.). Electronic media, including motion pictures and other audiovisual works, are to be used in the classroom for instructional purposes only. Duplication or backup of computer programs and data must be made within the provisions of the purchase agreement. Associations and political activities Policy DGA The district will not directly or indirectly discourage employees from participating in political affairs or required any employee to join any group, club, committee, organization, or association. Employees may join or refuse to join any professional association or organization. An individual’s employment will not be affected by membership or a decision not to be a member of any employee organization that exists for the purpose of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work. Use of district resources, including work time, for political activities is prohibited. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 50 Charitable Contributions Policy DG The Board or any employee may not directly or indirectly require or coerce an employee to make a contribution to a charitable organization or in response to a fund-raiser. Employees cannot be required to attend a meeting called for the purpose of soliciting charitable contributions. In addition, the Board or any employee may not directly or indirectly require or coerce an employee to refrain from making a contribution to a charitable organization or in response to a fund-raiser or attending a meeting called for the purpose of soliciting charitable contributions. Safety Policy CK Series The district has developed and promotes a comprehensive program to ensure the safety of its employees, students, and visitors. The safety program includes guidelines and procedures for responding to emergencies and activities to help reduce the frequency of accidents and injuries. To prevent or minimize injuries to employees, coworkers, and students and to protect and conserve district equipment, employees must comply with the following requirements: • • • • Observe all safety rules Keep work areas clean and orderly at all times Immediately report all accidents to their supervisor Operate only equipment or machines for which they have training and authorization Employees with questions or concerns relating to safety programs and issues can contact the district superintendent. Possession of firearms and weapons Policies FNCG, GKA Employees, visitors, and students are prohibited from bringing firearms, knives, clubs or other prohibited weapons onto school premises (i.e., building or portion of a building) or any grounds or building where a school-sponsored activity takes place. To ensure the safety of all persons, employees who observe or suspect a violation of the district’s weapons policy should report it to their supervisors or immediately call the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Department at 655-8111. Visitors in the workplace Policy GKC All visitors are expected to enter any district facility through the main entrance, go to the main office and sign in and pick up and wear a visitor’s badge above the waist. Authorized visitors will receive directions or be escorted to their destination. Employees who observe an unauthorized individual on the district premises should immediately direct him or her to the building office or contact the administrator in charge. Asbestos management plan Policy CKA The district is committed to providing a safe environment for employees. An accredited management planner has developed an asbestos management plan for each piece of district property. A copy of the district’s management plan is kept in the administration office and is available for inspection during normal business hours. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 51 Pest control treatment Policies DI, CLB Employees are prohibited from applying any pesticide or herbicide without appropriate training and prior approval of the integrated pest management (IPM) coordinator. Any application of pesticide or herbicide must be done in a manner prescribed by law and the district’s integrated pest management program. Grape Creek ISD will notify school staff and students of upcoming pesticide treatments by posting at least 48 hours before treatment. Exceptions to this posting will only be for incidental use where the possibility of danger exists to students or staff, such as bees, wasps, fire ants, and etc… In addition, individual employees may request in writing to be notified of pesticide applications. An employee who requests individualized notice will be notified by telephone, written or electronic means. Pest control information sheets are available from the district’s maintenance department upon request. Bad weather closing The district may close schools because of bad weather or emergency conditions. When such conditions exist, the superintendent will make the official decision concerning the closing of the district’s facilities. When it becomes necessary to open late or to release students early, or to cancel school, district officials will notify the following radio and television stations: KGKL Radio, KLIT Radio, KIXY Radio, KWFR Radio, KLST-TV Emergencies Policy CKC, CKD All employees should be familiar with the evacuation diagrams posted in their work areas and with the District School Safety and Emergency Resource Manual and Emergency Response Checklist. Fire, tornado, and other emergency drills will be conducted to familiarize employees and students with safety and evacuation procedures. Each campus is equipped with an automatic external defibrillator. Fire extinguishers are located throughout all district buildings. Employees should know the location of the extinguishers nearest their place of work and how to use them. Please consult your District School Safety and Emergency Resource Manual and Emergency Response Checklist for additional information. Classroom Emergencies If there is ever a situation in the classroom in which the teacher needs adult assistance immediately, the teacher should: Elementary and Middle School: Send a student to the office with the red whistle. Students need not be given any verbal requests to deliver – only the whistle. Students should be instructed that if the secretary is not there, they should give the whistle to the nearest adult. High School: Send a student to the office for help. In case of a medical emergency, the student should contact the school nurse first, and then go to the office for help. Send a second student to get the nearest adult employee for immediate assistance. Fire/Tornado Fire Evacuation: 3 Bells or Siren or Public Address System Alert All persons exit the building quickly and safely, without running or crowding to the designated areas. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 52 After checking roll, teacher/aides send the class red whistle to the designated person standing in the designated area. All Clear: 1 Bell or Siren Return to your original location. Tornado: Continuous Bell or Siren Go to designated area in the building away from windows. Assume the crouched position and cover your head. All Clear: 1 Bell or Siren Purchasing procedures Policy CH All requests for purchases must be submitted in accordance with established requisition procedures. No purchases, charges, or commitments to buy goods or services for the district can be made without proper authorization. The district will not reimburse employees or assume responsibility for purchases made without authorization. Employees are not permitted to purchase supplies or equipment for personal use through the district’s business office. Contact the business office for additional information on purchasing procedures. Requisition Form/Purchase Order Procedure: Requisitions to purchase merchandise for the classroom, library, office, etc., should be submitted to the campus principal or immediate supervisor using the Requisition Form (See page 95). Once approved, follow these procedures: • • • • • • • • Teachers/staff members should fill out the paper Requisition Form (See page 95) and submit the form to their campus secretary or team leader Team leaders/authorized persons will complete the Requisition request in RSCCC. The campus principal or department director will approve requisitions. After the principal or department director approves the requisition, the business office will review it and once approved, a purchase order (P.O.) will be produced, printed and returned to the campus or department. (See page 96) After processing, a copy of the P.O. will be returned to the campus. The campus secretary should maintain a copy in a notebook and make another copy to give to the employee who requested the merchandise. Each campus is responsible for ordering their merchandise by mailing or faxing their purchase orders to vendors. After the merchandise has been received satisfactorily and checked in by the employee, he/she is to sign the copy of the purchase order in the space marked "Received by", attach all receipts and invoices to the signed PINK copy and return all to the campus or department secretary. By doing this, he/she is authorizing payment of the merchandise. The campus secretary will immediately forward the signed PINK copy of the purchase order and all attached receipts/invoices to the business office to be processed for payment. Purchases made utilizing local RFP vendors using the following designation system and priority rank: Preferred Secondary 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook Order from awardees except qualified by quotes (to include preferred vendor(s) ), out-of-stock or sole source Order from awardees if the interests of the district cannot be met with primary vendors. 53 Approved Orders may be placed with awardee as qualifed by quotes. (Total of three to include primary and secondary vendors.) Requisitions for all other items or services must have a properly completed Quote Sheet attached, to include at least three preferred, secondary or approved vendors. If the purchase order is for a unique product or service that is not available elsewhere, please complete the requisition with the words “Sole Source” entered both in the opening screen “Bid No.” field and under the “Comments” and “Vendor Notes” tabs. A file copy of an official Sole Source letter must be attached in place of a quote sheet for such requisitions. Requisitions for goods and services from approved purchasing consortium vendors (list of approved consortiums available from the business office) do not require requestors to obtain quotes. These shall be treated the same as primary local RFP vendors. It is important that these procedures be followed in a timely manner to avoid confusion and delays in processing orders. If proper requisitions procedures are not followed, the employee may be personally held responsible for payment. Inventory procedures Teachers/staff will receive an inventory sheet at the beginning of the school year. All personnel should complete it correctly and have it back to the business office by the specified date. At the end of the school year, teachers and staff will receive another inventory sheet to be completed and returned to the business office. If there are any discrepancies between the beginning and ending inventory, the individual staff member will need to get the discrepancy cleared before the last workday of school. Note: No paychecks will be distributed until your inventory is cleared by the business office. All personnel are responsible for inventory. If you have an item which you want moved out of or into your room/office, you need to fill out a transfer form and have it approved by the business office. You are no longer responsible for any item transferred out of your room/office. There are inventory tags on all inventoried items. If an item has an inventory tag, list it on your inventory sheet. Should an item not have a tag, do not list it on the sheet. (Exceptions: student desks: count all student desks and chairs and put a total on your inventory sheet. Example: desk/chair combinations – 5; desks – 3; chairs – 3.) Fiscal Responsibility – Record Keeping Employees should document all financial transactions thoroughly. Principals are responsible for monitoring and ensuring that: • All fundraiser activities are approved as per policies FJ and GE. • All fundraiser transactions and collections are properly recorded on district receipt stock. • All fundraiser or other deposits are secured in campus vaults or deposited daily in the business office. • All expenditures from Student Activity Accounts (Club Accounts) are properly authorized by student representatives and campus principal. • All purchasing activities conducted from Activity/Club Accounts adhere to district purchasing practices, including use of applicable approved vendors and documentation of necessary quotes. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 54 Name and address changes It is important that employment records be kept up to date. Employees must notify the administration office at 658-7823, ext. 1003 if there are any changes or corrections to their name, home address, home telephone number, contact telephone number, marital status, emergency contact, or beneficiary. Forms to process a change in personal information can be obtained from the administration office. Personnel records Policy GBA Most district records, including personnel records, are public information and must be released upon request. A limited amount of personal information may be withheld. Employees may choose to allow or not allow public access to or have the following information included in a staff directory or released to anyone who makes a formal request through the Open Records Act by submitting a written request to the administration offices. New or terminating employees have 14 days after hire or termination to submit a request. Otherwise, personal information will be released to the public. • Address • Phone number, including personal cell phone number • Emergency contact information • Information that reveals whether they have family members • Personal e-mail address The choice to not allow public access to this information may be made at any time by submitting a written request to the human resources office. For your convenience a form has been included in this handbook on page 8. Building use Policies DGA and GKD Campus principals are responsible for scheduling the use of facilities after school hours. Contact the campus principal to request to use school facilities and to obtain information on the fees charged. Campus principals must notify the superintendent's administrative assistant concerning scheduled events to determine fees based on district policy. Maintenance Requests Employees who require assistance from maintenance must gain approval from their campus administrator or department supervisor by emailing them a completed maintenance request form. Once approved, the form can be forwarded to the maintenance director in a manner established for each campus or department. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT Resignations Policy DFE Contract employees - Contract employees may resign their position without penalty at the end of any school year if written notice is received 45 days before the first day of instruction of the following school year. A written notice of resignation should be submitted to the campus principal. Contract employees may resign at any other time only with the approval of the 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 55 superintendent or the board of trustees. Resignation without consent may result in disciplinary action by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). The superintendent will notify SBEC when an employee resigns and reasonable evidence exists to indicate that the employee has engaged in any of the acts listed in Reports to the Texas Education Agency on page 57. Employee Agreements - Any professional employee or other employee who is not eligible for a probationary contract or a term contract under policies DCA or DCB and with whom the Board desires to establish a mutually binding agreement for a specific period of time shall be employed under an employee agreement. An employee may resign during the term of an employment agreement by providing at least 30 days notice to the Superintendent. Release during the term of an employment agreement under any other circumstances shall require Board approval and ordinarily shall not be approved unless a suitable replacement can be found. An employee who has returned a signed employment agreement may resign before the beginning date of the agreement by providing a written resignation to the Superintendent at least 45 days before the beginning date specified in the agreement. Non-contract employees - Non-contract employees may resign their positions at any time. A written notice of resignation should be submitted to the employee’s supervisor at least two weeks prior to the effective date. Employees are encouraged to include the reasons for leaving in the letter of resignation but are not required to do so. Dismissal or nonrenewal of contract employees Policies DFAA, DFAB, DFBA, DFBB, DFCA, DFD, DFF, DFFA, DFFB, DFFC Employees on probationary, term, and continuing contracts can be dismissed during the school year or non-renewed at the end of the year according to the procedures outlined in district policies. Employees on probationary or term contracts can be nonrenewed at the end of the contract term. Contract employees dismissed during the school year, suspended without pay, or subject to a reduction in force are entitled to receive notice of the recommended action, an explanation of the charges against them, and an opportunity for a hearing. The time lines and procedures to be followed when a suspension, termination, or non-renewal occurs will be provided when a written notice is given to an employee. Advance notification requirements do not apply when a contract employee is dismissed for failing to obtain or maintain appropriate certification or whose certification is revoked for misconduct. Information on the time lines and procedures can be found in the DF series policies that are provided to employees or in the policy manuals located on the district’s website at www.grapecreekisd.net. Dismissal of noncontract employees Policy DCD Noncontract employees are employed at will and may be dismissed without notice, a description of the reasons for dismissal, or a hearing. It is unlawful for the district to dismiss any employee for reasons of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, military status, genetic information, any other basis protected by law, or in retaliation for the exercise of certain protected legal rights. Noncontract employees who are dismissed have the right to grieve the termination. The dismissed employee must follow the district process outlined in this handbook when pursuing the grievance. (See Complaints and Grievances, page 37.) Dismissal of employees under employment agreements Policy DCE The Board may dismiss an employee during the term of an employment agreement by providing written notice to the employee that the agreement shall terminate in 30 days. The Board may dismiss an employee during the term of the agreement without a 30-day notice, by providing notice and a hearing, as described in this policy. The Superintendent, after consulting with the Board, shall give the employee 15 days written notice of the Board’s intention to terminate the 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 56 agreement, including a statement of the cause for the action and an explanation of the District’s evidence, in enough detail for the employee to show any errors that may exist. The employee may request a hearing before the Board by making a written request to the Superintendent within ten days of receipt of the notice. The Board shall conduct a requested hearing within 15 days of receiving the request. Exit interviews and procedures Policies DC and CY Exit interviews will be scheduled for all employees leaving the district. Information on the continuation of benefits, release of information, and procedures for requesting references will be provided at this time. Separating employees are asked to provide the district with a forwarding address and phone number and complete an Exit Interview Form (See form, page 82) that provides the district with feedback on his or her employment experience. All district keys, books, property including intellectual property, and equipment must be returned upon separation from employment. The district may withhold the cost of any unreturned items from the final paycheck. Reports to Texas Education Agency Policy DF The dismissal or resignation of a certified employee will be reported to the Division of Investigations at TEA whenever the termination is based on a determination that the employee was involved in any of the following: • Any form of sexual or physical abuse of a minor or any other illegal conduct with a student or a minor • Soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor • The possession, transfer, sale, or distribution of a controlled substance • The illegal transfer, appropriation, or expenditure of school property or funds • An attempt by fraudulent or unauthorized means to obtain or alter any certificate or permit for the purpose of promotion or additional compensation • Committing a criminal offense or any part of a criminal offense on district property or at a school-sponsored event The superintendent is also required to notify TEA when a certified employee resigns and there is reasonable evidence that would support a recommendation to terminate employment because of the conduct listed above. The reporting requirements above are in addition to the superintendent’s ongoing duty to notify TEA when a certified employee has a reported criminal history. “Reported criminal history” means any formal criminal justice system charges and dispositions including arrests, detentions, indictments, criminal information, convictions, deferred adjudications, and probations in any state or federal jurisdiction. Reports concerning court-ordered withholding The district is required to report the termination of employees that are under court order or writ of withholding for child support or spousal maintenance to the court and the individual receiving the support (Texas Family Code 8.210, 158.211). Notice of the following must be sent to the court and support recipient: • Termination of employment not later than the seventh day after the date of termination • Employee’s last known address • Name and address of the employee’s new employer, if known 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 57 STUDENT ISSUES Equal educational opportunities Policies FB and FFH The Grape Creek ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, or disability in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Questions or concerns about discrimination of students based on any of the reasons listed above should be directed to the district superintendent Student records Policy FL Student records are confidential and are protected from unauthorized inspection or use. Employees should take precautions to maintain the confidentiality of all student records. The following people are the only people who have general access to a student’s records: • Parents: Married, separated, or divorced unless parental rights have been legally terminated and the school has been given a copy of the court order terminating parental rights • The student: The rights of parents transfer to a student who turns 18 or is enrolled in an institution of postsecondary education. A district is not prohibited from granting the student access to the student’s records before this time. • School officials with legitimate educational interests Materials that are not considered educational records and do not have to be made available to a parent or student include teachers’ personal notes on a student that are shared only with a substitute teacher. The student handbook provides parents and students with detailed information on student records. Parents or students who want to review student records should be directed to the campus principal for assistance. Parent and student complaints Policy FNG In an effort to hear and resolve parent and student complaints in a timely manner and at the lowest administrative level possible, the board has adopted orderly processes for handing complaints on different issues. Any campus office or the superintendent’s office can provide parents and students with information on filing a complaint. Parents are encouraged to discuss problems or complaints with the teachers or the appropriate administrator at any time. Parents and students with complaints that cannot be resolved should be directed to the campus principal. The formal complaint process provides parents and students with an opportunity to be heard up to the highest level of management if they are dissatisfied with a principal’s response. Once all administrative complaint procedures are exhausted, parents and students can bring complaints to the board of trustees. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 58 Administering medication to students Policy FFAC Only designated employees can administer prescription medication, nonprescription medication, and herbal or dietary supplements to students. A student who must take medicine during the school day must bring a written request from his or her parent and the medicine, in its original, properly labeled container. FDA approved, nonprescription medication can be administered by designated school personnel with written parental request. Students that require asthma medications may self-administer with proper approval and required documentation of their ability to self-administer. Contact the principal or school nurse for information on procedures that must be followed when administering medication to students. Dietary supplements Policies DH, FFAC District employees are prohibited by state law from knowingly selling, marketing, or distributing a dietary supplement that contains performance-enhancing compounds to a student with whom the employee has contact as part of his or her school district duties. In addition, employees may not knowingly endorse or suggest the ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation of a performance-enhancing dietary supplement to any student. Psychotropic drugs Policy FFAC A psychotropic drug is a substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication. It is intended to have an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior and is commonly described as a mood- or behavior-altering substance. District employees are prohibited by state law from doing the following: • • • Recommending that a student use a psychotropic drug Suggesting a particular diagnosis Excluding from class or school-related activity a student whose parent refuses to consent to a psychiatric evaluation or to authorize the administration of a psychotropic drug to a student Student Conduct and Discipline Policies in the FN series and FO series Students are expected to follow the campus rules, classroom rules, and rules listed in the Student Code of Conduct and Student Handbook. Teachers and administrators are responsible for taking disciplinary action based on a range of discipline management strategies that have been adopted by the district. Other employees that have concerns about a particular student’s conduct should contact the classroom teacher or campus principal. Teachers must file a written report with the principal or another appropriate administrator when they have knowledge that a student has violated the Student Code of Conduct. A copy of this report will be sent by the principal or administrator to the student’s parents within 24 hours. Local and legal policies regarding student discipline can be found online at: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FN(LOCAL).pdf and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FO(LEGAL).pdf and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FO(LOCAL).pdf 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 59 Student Attendance Policy FEB Teachers and staff should be familiar with the district’s policies and procedures for attendance accounting. These procedures require minor students to have parental consent before they are allowed to leave campus. When absent from school, the student, upon returning to school, must bring a note signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence. These requirements are addressed in campus training and in the student handbook. Contact the campus principal for additional information. Bullying Policy FFI All employees are required to report student complaints of bullying to their campus administrator. The district’s policy that includes definitions and procedures for reporting and investigating bullying of students is found online at: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFI(LOCAL).pdf Note: This policy addresses bullying of District students. For provisions regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation involving District students, see FFH. For reporting requirements related to child abuse and neglect, see FFG. http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFH(LEGAL).pdf and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFH(LOCAL).pdf and http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=FFG(LEGAL).pdf Hazing Policy FNCC Students must have prior approval from the principal or designee for any type of “initiation rites” of a school club or organization. While most initiation rites are permissible, engaging in or permitting “hazing” is a criminal offense. Any teacher, administrator, or employee who observes a student engaged in any form of hazing, who has reason to know or suspect that a student intends to engage in hazing, or has engaged in hazing must report that fact or suspicion to the designated campus discipline person. Cafeteria Breakfast and lunch are served daily and may be purchased at the prices listed below. For free and reduced meal prices, an application must be completed and submitted to the superintendent’s office. Breakfast (daily) Lunch (daily) 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook STUDENT MEAL PRICES Primary/Intermediate Middle and High Schools Reduced/Paid in Full Reduced/Paid in Full Complimentary $.30 / $1.00 $.40 / $1.95 $.40 / $2.20 60 High School students may not leave campus for lunch. GCISD has a closed campus policy, and students who leave campus will be considered truant. Consumption of snacks is at the discretion of the principal. Student ID numbers shall be used by all students and staff purchasing lunches. EMPLOYEE/ADULT MEAL PRICES All Campuses District Employees $1.60 $3.15 Breakfast (daily) Lunch (daily) Guest Adults $1.60 $3.15 Procedures 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) No more than ten (10) meal charges of any type will be allowed by employees at any time. Charges must be cleared monthly. Employees at charge limit must completely clear charge balance before further charges will be allowed. Any un-cleared charges that exist at the end of the school year will be withheld from June payroll or from any final disbursements made in May for separating employees. Meal counts need to be turned in by 9:00 a.m. Books, paper, and school supplies will not be allowed in serving line. The cafeteria needs a one-week notice on all field trips, pizza parties and sack lunches to be prepared. A 24-hour prior notice is requested if it is known a group of students will be absent from lunch at any time. An employee who issues the district a check that is returned for insufficient funds shall receive written notification. Employees will have 10 working days from the date of notification to correct the situation. After 10 working days from the date of the written notification, the amount will be deducted from the employee’s next payroll check. A surcharge of $25 will be added to the amount of the insufficient check amount. Prepayments to your account may be made via the myschoolbucks.com website. Bloodborne Pathogens GRAPE CREEK ISD BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN EXPOSURE PLAN A school district is required annually provide all employees information concerning a Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Plan. Grape Creek ISD offers this information through a separate Health and Wellness Packet that is being provided to you this year. You are required to read the plan, sign and date the cover sheet to the Health and Wellness Packet and return it to your campus or department office. Even though the information is repetitious from year to year, the reminder may help you avoid a serious illness. Staff wellness is as important to the District as the wellness of the students. The Law: House Bill 2085 “extended to state and local governmental entities the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards for dealing with bloodborne pathogens in the workplace and empowered Texas Department of Health to develop rules modeled after OSHA requirements.” By January 1, 2000 school districts must: 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 61 1. provide, at district expense, hepatitis B vaccinations to affected (as defined further on) employees. declines to be vaccinated, the district must maintain a record of the employee’s written refusal; If an employee 2. provide to affected employees pre-service training and annual refresher training regarding bloodborne pathogens, transmission, personal protective equipment and procedures, etc.; 3. log all “sticks” by needles (or other “sharps” in the health care setting as defined by the rules); 4. provide for post-exposure evaluation and follow up with any employee who has a sharps injury; 5. report the sharps injury to the Texas Department of Health on a standardized TDH form; 6. develop (prior to January 1, 2001) an exposure control plan per the TDH model. While the narrative accompanying the rules indicated that employers had some latitude in altering the language of the model to reflect the particulars of the specific workplace, the rules affirm that the model is a “minimum”. GCISD BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN In order to comply with the Texas Department of Health requirements for an exposure control plan, the Grape Creek Independent School District shall: 1. Identify employees who could expect to be exposed to blood and/or *other body fluids, which could contain bloodborne pathogens while performing occupation related duties. This determination will be made on the basis of the employee’s job descriptions. Employees who may expect an exposure to bloodborne pathogens as part of the normal course of their job related duties will be designated as “affected employees”. (See Attachment 1A) 2. Authorize and pay for hepatitis B immunizations for affected employees, to be administered by the Tom Green County Public Health Department, at their clinic (See Attachment 2A) 3. Maintain records of employees’ hepatitis B immunizations in personnel files. Maintain records of written declination statements (to take the hepatitis B immunizations) in personnel files. (See Attachment 3A) 4. Provide personal protective equipment, including disposable latex or plastic gloves, biohazard waste bags and antimicrobial hand cleaner. 5. Provide mandatory annual training regarding bloodborne pathogens and universal precautions to all district employees. Document all exposure control training. (See Attachment 5A) 6. Keep records of all occupational related exposures to blood and/or *other body fluids. The Post-Exposure Reports (Attachment 7C) shall be completed, a copy of the report will be sent to the Superintendent and the original will be retained in the employee’s personnel file. Report sharps injuries to TDH on a standardized TDH form. (See attached TDH form) 7. Authorize and pay for post-exposure medical evaluation, immunizations and medical follow up for workrelated exposures to blood and/or *other body fluids. In the event that the employee declines post exposure care, he/she shall sign a declination statement. Declination statements will be retained in his/her personnel file. (See Attachments 7A, B &C) 8. Maintain all records relative to the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan for Grape Creek ISD for the duration of the employee’s employment plus ten (10) years. All potentially infectious body material as defined by the Texas Department of Health. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 62 Attachment 1A Exposure Determination The Texas Department of Health requires employers to perform an exposure determination for employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. The exposure determination is made without regard to the use of personal protective equipment. This exposure determination is required to list all job classifications in which employees have occupational exposure, regardless of frequency. The determination will be made on the basis of employee’s job descriptions. Employees who may reasonably expect an exposure to bloodborne pathogens as part of the normal course of their job related duties, will be designated as “affected employees”. The following job titles and classifications apply: a) School Nurse b) School Nurse Aides c) (Certain) Special Education Teachers d) (Certain) Special Education Aides e) (Certain) Maintenance Employees Attachment 1B Affected Employees for School Year 2013-2014 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. (School Nurse) (School Nurse Aide) (School Health Clerk) (Special Education Aide) (Special Education Aide) (Maintenance Worker) Attachment 2A Hepatitis B Immunization Authorization Form Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Job Title: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Job Description: __________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title of Authorizing Administrator: ____________________________________________________________________ Signature of Authorizing Administrator: ________________________________________________________________ Signature of Employee to Receive Immunization: ________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 63 Attachment 3A Hepatitis B Immunization Declination Statement I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials I may be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. I have been given the opportunity to be immunized against hepatitis B virus, at no charge to myself. However, I decline hepatitis B immunization at this time. I understand that by declining this immunization, I continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, a serious disease. If, in the future, I continue to have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials and I want to be immunized against hepatitis B, I can receive the immunization at no charge to me. Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________ Attachment 5A Completion of Training I have received training on the following topic(s): 1. Campus Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Plan 2. Types of Bloodborne Pathogens 3. Immunizations and Universal Precaution Measures 4. Workplace Controls and Protective Equipment Name (print): __________________________________ Principal (print): ______________________________________ Campus: ______________________________________ Date of Training: ___________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________ Name of person giving training: __________________________ Attachment 7A Post Exposure Hepatitis B Immunization Declination Statement I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials I may be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. I have been given the opportunity to be immunized against hepatitis B virus, at no charge to myself. However, I decline hepatitis B immunization at this time. I understand that by declining this immunization, I continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, a serious disease. If, in the future, I continue to have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials and want to be immunized against hepatitis B, I can receive the immunization at no charge to me. Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________ Date of potential exposure: ___________________________________________________________________________ Attach this statement to the Post-Exposure Report and retain in this employee’s personnel file. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 64 Attachment 7B Post-Exposure Medical Evaluation for Human Immunodeficiency virus and Hepatitis B Declination Statement I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials I may be at risk of acquiring HIV and/or HBV. I have been given the opportunity to receive a post-exposure medical evaluation, at no charge to myself. However, I decline the post-exposure medical evaluation at this time. If in the future I would like this post-exposure evaluation, I will notify my supervisor. Name: _______________________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _____________________________ Date of potential exposure: _______________________________________________ Attach this statement to the Post-Exposure Report and retain in this employee’s personnel file. Attachment 7C Post-Exposure Report 1. Name of employee exposed: _______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Job Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Time and date of exposure: _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Location at the time of the exposure incident: ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Source of exposure: _______________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Description of exposure incident: _____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Administrator(s) evaluation exposure incident: ___________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Conclusion of administrator(s) evaluation: ______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Recommendation(s) of administrator(s: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. Signature(s) of administrator(s): ______________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 65 Definitions 1. bloodborne pathogens – pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency (HIV). 2. contaminated – the obvious presence, or the reasonable anticipated presence, of blood or other potentially infectious material on or inside of any object. 3. contaminated sharps – any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin. 4. exposure incident – a specific mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or contaminated sharps stick, that results in a potential infection with bloodborne pathogen, as a result of performance of an employee’s duties. 5. personal protective equipment – specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard in the workplace. 6. universal precautions – an approach to infection control designed to prevent transmission of bloodborne diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B. The guidelines for universal precautions include specific recommendations for the use of gloves and other personal protective equipment when contact with blood or body secretions contaminated or potentially contaminated with blood is anticipated. 7. workplace controls – measures that reduce the likelihood of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, by altering the manner in which a work-related task is accomplished. These definitions were prepared using information from the Texas Department of Health and the Fifth Edition of Mosby’s Medical, Nursing & Allied Health Dictionary. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 66 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 67 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 68 Accident Reporting Injuries requiring a doctor’s care or keeping a student out of school for half a day or more should be recorded. All injuries to students and employees while they are under the jurisdiction of the school should be reported to the principal. Requirements (Student Injuries): 1. If a student gets hurt in your classroom, take the student IMMEDIATELY to the nurse. 2. If you are unable to move the student, contact the nurse and principal. 3. As soon as the emergency is over, make a written report to the nurse with a copy to the principal. PLEASE, NEVER FAIL TO DO THIS. Requirements (Employee Injuries) : 1. If an employee gets hurt while on duty, he/she must report the accident to the principal. 2. As soon as the principal is notified you must contact the Administration office so a report can be filed. (Please see page 77 for Accident Report Form.) SPECIAL PROGRAMS At Risk Program The Grape Creek I.S.D. is dedicated to providing academic options and services to students identified as at-risk. Based on state guidelines, students who are under 21 years of age and who meet one or more of the following criteria shall be identified as students at risk of dropping out of school: 1. Is in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or grade 1, 2, or 3, and did not perform satisfactorily on a readiness test or assessment instrument administered during the current school year; 2. Is in grade 7,8,9,10,11, or 12, and did not maintain an average equivalent to 70 on a scale of 100 in two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum during a semester in the preceding or current school year or is not maintaining such an average in two or more subjects in the foundation curriculum in the current semester; 3. Was not advanced from one grade level to the next for one or more school years; 4. Did not perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument administered to the student under Subchapter B, Chapter 39, and who has not in the previous or current school year subsequently performed on that instrument or another appropriate instrument at a level equal to at least 110 percent of the level of satisfactory performance on that instrument; 5. Is pregnant or is a parent; 6. Has been placed in an alternative education program in accordance with Section 37.006 during the preceding or current school year; 7. Has been expelled in accordance with Section 37.007 during the preceding or current school year; 8. Is currently on parole, probation, deferred prosecution, or other conditional release; 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 69 9. Was previously reported through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) to have dropped out of school; 10. Is a student of limited English proficiency, as defined by Section 29.052; 11. Is in the custody or care of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services or has, during the current school year, been referred to the department by a school official, officer of a juvenile court, or law enforcement official; 12. Is homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302, and its subsequent amendments; or 13. Resided in the preceding school year or resides in the current school year in a residential placement facility in the district, including a detention facility, substance abuse treatment facility, emergency shelter, psychiatric hospital, halfway house, or foster group home. In addition to state criteria, the district may consider environmental, economic, social, developmental, and other psychosocial factors in determining services where such factor contributes to the student’s inability to progress academically. The At-Risk Committees will meet as needed to assess students’ needs based on grades, test scores, promotion, nonpromotion, and counselor or teacher input. They will determine academic options/services to be provided for each student. Each counselor will conduct an ongoing evaluation of students’ academic progress, including progress towards promotion. The At-Risk Coordinator will: (a) notify parent/guardian of each student, and (b) monitor intervention activities provided to ensure that student needs are met. Classroom teachers will report grades to parents that clearly specify the functional level of each student. Programs and Services include the following: ESL; Title I; Dyslexia Reading Program; Reading Lab; C.E.I. (computerassisted reading interventions); Tutorials; Special Education; Counseling; modification of classroom materials; peer tutoring; alternative teaching strategies; and ongoing monitoring. Dyslexia Program Dyslexia means a disorder of constitutional origin (you are born with it and it is not a result of birth trauma), manifested by difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity. Each school district must have a program to screen and treat dyslexia and related disorders. Only identified students may participate in the Dyslexia Program. Students identified are then referred to existing programs such as Title 1, ESL, tutoring, special education, and computer assisted instruction. For severe to moderate dyslexia, an individual program can be developed if none of the above programs are successful. New students will be appropriately screened for Dyslexia identification. ESL (English as a Second Language) Program Students in Pre-K – 12th grades, whose primary language is something other than English, are eligible for the ESL Program. School districts are required to offer this program, which is taught by a certified ESL teacher. In the early grades, oral language development is stressed, followed by reading comprehension and written composition. The program is a pull-out 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 70 program, and students participate for approximately 45 minutes a day. Students can be promoted out of the program only after demonstrating competency on the TAKS or on an achievement test. Parents’ permission for placement is mandatory. Only identified students are eligible to participate in the ESL Program. Participants are referred to the counselor at registration if a Home Language Survey form indicates that a language other than English is spoken by the child or spoken at home. The child is then given an state-approved oral language proficiency test to determine his primary language. If the primary language is Spanish or any language other than English, the child, after the school receives parental permission, is place into the program. Family Services Program The Family Services Program is a resource for helping our families with a variety of services. Campus counselors will assist families with needed services off the campus as well as supply them with donated items at school. Referrals to Family Services Programs are made through the campus counselor. Referrals may be made by teachers, administration, or family members. Guidance and Counseling Program Guidance and counseling services are available to all students. The goal of the Guidance and Counseling Program is to help students develop academically, personally, and socially. Activities conducted through Guidance and Counseling are educational in nature, and focus on teaching students skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. The counselor may see students individually, in small groups, or in the regular classroom. Curriculum utilized for group activities is designed to strengthen decision-making skills, enhance positive self images, promote better relationships, and develop good coping skills. Parents may preview the curriculum by setting up an appointment with the counselor. Parental Consent Parents have then (10) calendar days from the date of their signature indicating they have received and read the Student Handbook, to request in writing that they wish to be contacted prior to their child participating in activities through our Guidance and Counseling Program. (Consent is not required before a counselor counsels a student when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a child has been abused, is contemplating suicide, or is involved in chemical addiction, dependency, or abuse.) Referral Process Parents, school personnel, or students themselves may request counseling. Students need to ask their teachers if they may see the counselor to set up an appointment; parents may call or stop by the counselor’s office to make a referral; and school personnel need to complete a “Referral to the Counselor” form. Technology Program The Director of Technology provides these services: • Periodic maintenance and repair of all district computers, TVs, VCRs, telephones, • video players, laser disc players, and copy machines. • Review all software requests to ensure there are no duplications. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 71 • District Consultant for all technology matters. Please contact if you have any electronic item such as cassette tape players, pocket records, etc. or any item used in the classroom that is in need of repair. Title One Reading A program to supplement the regular classroom reading program for students in grades K-5 who are identified as having mild to moderate reading difficulties is now referred to as Title One. The purpose of Title One is to provide opportunities for children served to acquire the knowledge and skills contained in the challenging state performance standards. Identified students who fall below level on current school achievement or TAKS Testing may qualify. Currently we are serving most Title One students in a program called Essential Learning Systems developed by CEI or Creative Education Institution. Students attend this reading lab on a daily basis for 45 minutes for additional reading instruction. Parental input is crucial throughout this program. Parents of Title One students will be notified of special meetings and workshops that they may attend in order to help their child succeed. Student Registration/Withdrawal All Campuses At the time of registration, parents/guardians must complete: • Enrollment Card/Emergency Information Form • Home Language Survey • Student Residency Questionnaire • Immigrant/Migrant Status • Health Information Form The parents, or previous school, have 30 days to furnish the following: • Social Security Card • Birth Certificate (previous school records with proper identification can take the place • of the birth certificate) • Immunization Record • Previous School Academic, Attendance, and Test Records Parents are given: • Student Handbook/Student Code of Conduct (if the student is new to Grape Creek) • Health Handbook • Supply List • School Calendar Parents/Guardians may also complete an application for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Completed applications must be given to the Food Services Supervisor. Withdrawals must be initiated by the parents/guardians. A withdrawal form must be completed by the teacher and given to the campus secretary. Campus administrators or designee must sign the completed form. The withdrawal date should be the first day the student is not in attendance, and this date is recorded by the campus secretary. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 72 Teachers are required to give grades on the withdrawal form for grades 2-12, and PreK-1 teachers should indicate the student’s academic standing. In addition, teachers are to give the total days attended for the six weeks and for the year. In addition, teachers are to check the special services the student had been receiving, if any. The teacher’s signature is also required. PreK-1 Teachers must turn in to the office the student’s portfolio within five days of withdrawal. Secondary Registration/Withdrawals Enrolling new students to your class: 1. If a new student is scheduled in your class, accept the student (even if your class is full). You can contact the counselor later to see if she is aware of the situation. Do not let the student think you do not want him because it is too crowded. Your class will be balanced to normal as soon as the counselor is aware of the problem. 2. The student should bring with him a grade (in your subject matter) from another school upon entering your class during the school year. If he does not have that grade, it means that the student’s records are probably enroute or are being sent for by the counselor. In this case, the counselor should send these grades to the teacher. If you still have not received a grade after three weeks, please contact the counselor. After you receive the transfer grade, you must prorate the student’s final grade by averaging your grade in with the other grade. Use good judgment in reaching the final grade when averaging in this manner. 3. If a student transfers into your class with a change-of-schedule form, you, as the receiving teacher, should sign the student into your class BEFORE the releasing teacher signs. As soon as you sign the form and add the student to your roster, send the student to his former teacher to check out with her. As soon as possible, be sure to get the student’s grade, attendance, and tardy record from the previous teacher. Withdrawing students: 1. Continue recording a student absent from your class until you get an official withdrawal slip. To withdraw from your class, the student must have either a withdrawal sheet (from the office) or a change-of-schedule form (from the counselor’s office) When you receive a withdrawal sheet, please be sure you collect the student’s textbook (if possible) before signing the sheet. 2. A student who has been dropped from school may not be present to have you sign the withdrawal sheet. In that case, an office aide or student will probably bring around this withdrawal sheet for your signature. 3. Be sure to mark your grade book with a “w” on the date of the student’s withdrawal. 4. The withdrawal slip has a place for the student’s grade. If the student is moving to another district, it is very important that you show the grade the student has earned at the time of the withdrawal. (If a student is being dropped for nonattendance, his grades with be “F”s.) 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 73 Policy Online The district legal and local policy documents are available for view online in their entirety at www.grapecreekisd.net. Just click on Board of Trustees under Quicklinks, then the Policy Online logo. Printed below, for your convenience, are policy codes and information that is included by each code as well as a link to the online policy. DAA Equal employment opportunity http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DAA(LEGAL).pdf DBAA Criminal history and credit reports http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DBAA(LEGAL).pdf DBD Conflict of interest http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DBD(LEGAL).pdf DC Series Employment practices http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DC(LEGAL).pdf DEA Series Salaries and wages; incentives and stipends http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DEA(LEGAL).pdf DEC Series Leaves and absences http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DEC(LEGAL).pdf DFAC Return to probationary status http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DFAC(LEGAL).pdf DFB Series Termination of term contracts http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DFB(LEGAL).pdf DFD Hearings before hearing examiner http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DFD(LEGAL).pdf DFE Resignations http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DFE(LEGAL).pdf DFF Reduction in force http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DFF(LEGAL).pdf DG Employee rights and privileges http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DG(LEGAL).pdf DGBA Employee Complaints http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DGBA(LEGAL).pdf DH Employee standards of conduct http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DH(LEGAL).pdf 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 74 DHE Searches and Drug/Alcohol Testing http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DHE(LEGAL).pdf DI Employee welfare http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DI(LEGAL).pdf DIA Discrimination, harassment and retaliation http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DIA(LEGAL).pdf DK Assignments and schedules http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DK(LEGAL).pdf DN Series Performance appraisal http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1142?filename=DN(LEGAL).pdf 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 75 APPENDIX Please note that the forms that follow are included to familiarize employees with the content and appearance of the forms for recognition purposes only. Many of these forms must be filled out in triplicate, so please do not copy the forms from this book. Instead, ask your campus secretary or department supervisor for the proper forms. Accident Report Form -Employee, 77 -Students, 79 Employee Absentee Form, 80 Direct Deposit Form, 81 Exit Interview Form, 82 FMLA – Employee Rights and Responsibilities, 84 Referral Forms - Discipline, 85 - Counselor, 86 - Nurse, 87 - Special Education, 88 - 504 Program, 89 Failure Reporting -Elementary, 90 -Secondary, 91 Grading Procedures -Elementary, 92 -Secondary, 92 Homework Policy, 93 Purchasing Procedures Forms -Quote Sheet, 94 -Requisition Form (online), 95 -Purchase Order (computer-generated), 96 Travel Forms -Extracurricular Requisition Request Form, 97 -Travel Voucher, 98 -Texas Sales and Use Exemption Certification, 99 -Texas Hotel Occupancy Exemption Certificate, 100 -Student Activity and Transportation Permission, 101 -Parental Release and Self-Transport Form, 102 Child Sexual Abuse Plan, 103 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 76 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 77 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 78 Student Accident Record Injuries requiring a doctor's care or keeping a student out of school one-half day or more should be recorded on this report. All injuries to students while they are under jurisdiction of the school should be reported to a designated school official. ______________________ Grade _______________________________________________ Teacher ________________________________ ___________________ Student's Name Date of Accident _________________________________ Time of Accident _________________________________________________________________________________________ Location of Accident _________________________________________________________________________________________ Type of Accident How Accident Occurred:_____________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ NOTES: Keep one copy for your files and turn one copy into the office. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 79 Employee Absentee Sheet All sections MUST be completed. Pay special attention to Section III and the employee identification numbers. SECTION I Employee ___________________________________ Employee ID #______________ Reason for Absence ____________________________________________________________ Dates of Absence ___________________ # of Days Absent: Half Day:___________a.m./p.m. Full Day: __________________ SECTION II Substitutes Name: _____________________________ Signature: _____________________________ Substitute ID # _____________ ___ Special Ed ___ Comp Ed ___ Other ______________ IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO SUBSTITUTED FOR YOUR CLASSROOM, ASK THE SECRETARY SECTION III OFFICE USE ONLY PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ___ Comp time (Hrly only) ________ Local Day(s) _______ Assault Leave ___ Dock ________ State Day(s) ________ Inservice/Workshop/Athletics/Band/UIL (please circle) ________ Other (Explain) ______________________________________________________ Note: Each employee must submit an Employee Absentee Form immediately upon returning to duty. A written statement from the attending physician or practitioner must be submitted for an absence of more than five (5) continuous workdays and must be attached to this form. YOU MUST FILL OUT SECTION III BEFORE YOU SIGN THE FORM: _______________________________ Signature of Administrator Approved: _____ Not Approved: _____ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook _____________________________ Signature of Employee Reason: __________________________________________________ 80 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 81 GRAPE CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT EXIT INTERVIEW FORM TODAY’S DATE:____________ NAME:___________________________________ LAST DAY TO WORK:________________ ASSIGNMENT:____________________________ CAMPUS:__________________________ I. TYPE OF SEPARATION: (CHECK ONE) A. Reason for termination: _____ Dismissal* ______ Resignation _____ Retirement _____ Non-renewal* ______ with notice _____ other* _____ Reduction in force ______ without notice _____ Extended disability *Explanation: ___________________________________________________________ B. Check all reasons for leaving (to be completed for all voluntary resignations): _____ Spouse Transfer _____ Health Reasons _____ Family Circumstances _____ Dissatisfied with type of work _____ Career Change _____ Returning to school _____ Moving to another District _____ Leave of Absence (specify): _____ Secured better position _______________________________________________ _____ Retirement _____ Other: ___________________________________ II. RATE THE FOLLOWING AREAS: 5 – Outstanding 4 – Exceeds Expectations 3 – Satisfactory 2 – Needs Improvement 1 – Unsatisfactory STAFF SUPPORT SCORE COMMENTS 1. Provides opportunity for professional growth. 12345 _____________________________ 2. Provides adequate teaching supplies and materials. 12345 _____________________________ 3. Provides support to staff for the instructional program. 12345 _____________________________ 4. Provides curriculum guides, 12345 teacher editions, etc., needed for teaching. _____________________________ 5. Provides an adequate orientation regarding school philosophy. 12345 _____________________________ 6. Provides a positive environment in the work place. 12345 _____________________________ 7. Allows opportunity for innovation and creativity. 12345 _____________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 82 8. Provides opportunity for advancement. 12345 ____________________________ 9. Communicates frequently and effectively with staff. 12345 ____________________________ 10. Practices equity toward all employees. 12345 ____________________________ Comments: __________________________________________________________________ Employee Signature: ___________________________________ Date: __________________ III. TO BE COMPLETED BY IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Collect District Property _____ Keys _____ Uniforms _____ I.D. Badge Is employee eligible for rehire? _____ Yes ______ Equipment ______ Books ______ Other: ________________ ______ No Comments: ____________________________________________________________ Signature of Immediate Supervisor: __________________________ Date: _________ IV. TO BE COMPLETED BY ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL STAFF: Benefits & Deductions _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Health Insurance Dental Insurance Group Term Life Insurance Unemployment Compensation 457 Deferred Compensation Schools Foundation Professional Association Dues Professional Association Dues Credit Union Loan _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Health Insurance Card(s) Disability Insurance Permanent Life Insurance 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity Teacher Retirement System Salary Payoff Options Garnishments/Levy United Way Contribution Credit Union Savings _____ Mailing Address/Phone Number for Final Paycheck and W2: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Comments: ____________________________________________________________ Signature of District Official : ______________________________ Date: ___________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 83 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 84 Disciplinary Referral to Principal Grape Creek Independent School District STUDENT: ____________________________________________ DATE: __________________________________ TEACHER: ____________________________________________ GRADE: _________________________________ ______ YES ______ NO PARENTAL CONTACT MADE? IF YES, PARENT NAME AND DATE OF CONTACT: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ PARENTAL SIGNATURE ____ REQUIRED ____ NOT REQUIRED _______________________________________ SIGNATURE OF PARENT _______________________________ DATE ACTIONS/DETENTIONS/INTERVENTIONS TAKEN BY TEACHER: ____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION OF OFFENSE: _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ LEVEL OF OFFENSE: ______________ STEP STUDENT IS ON: __________________ ACTION TAKEN: (If corporal punishment is used, witness's signature is required) ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ PRINCIPAL SIGNATURE _____________________________ WITNESS SIGNATURE Make copies for the following personnel: Parent/Guardian 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 85 Office _________________________ DATE Detention Supervisor Teacher Referral to Counselor STUDENT: _____________________________ DATE: _______________________ TEACHER: _____________________________ DATE: _______________________ Description of Behavior/Problem: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Date(s) Behavior Occurred: __________________________________________________________________ Actions/Interventions Taken by Teacher: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Parents Contacted? _______ Yes ________ Date of Concern _______ No Additional Comments: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Give a copy of completed form to Principal. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 86 Referral to Nurse STUDENT: __________________________ TEACHER: _______________________ DATE: _______________________ TIME: ___________________________ REASON FOR REFERRAL: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Referral to Nurse STUDENT: __________________________ TEACHER: _______________________ DATE: _______________________ TIME: ___________________________ REASON FOR REFERRAL: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Referral to Nurse STUDENT: __________________________ TEACHER: _______________________ DATE: _______________________ TIME: ___________________________ REASON FOR REFERRAL: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 87 Special Education Request to Begin Referral Process Teacher: ________________________________________ Date: ________________ Student: _________________________________________ Type of assessment request: (check one) _____ Special Education _____ Speech List 3 things that have already been tried, and why they didn't work. (Example for speech: modeling correct speech; example for special education: Title I Reading; individual tutoring) Alternatives Tried Reason for Rejection ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Have you spoken with the student's parent about this referral? _____ Yes _____ No VISION AND HEARING SCREENING RESULTS Vision Screening: _____ Pass _____ Fail Date: _________________ Hearing Screening: _____ Pass _____ Fail Date: _________________ * Place in Counselor's Tray 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 88 504 Referral Form Student: ___________________________________ Grade: _____________________ Describe suspected mental or physical disability that substantially limits a major life activity: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Document classroom-based interventions that have been carried out over an adequate length of time to determine effectiveness: Intervention Date From To (1) __________________________________ ________________ ________________ _________________________________ __________________________________ (2) __________________________________ ________________ ________________ _________________________________ __________________________________ Dates parents contacted about concerns (at least one parent contact is required before referral is made). Parents Contacted: ____________ Date ____________ Date Teacher's Signature : _________________________________________ Date: _________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 89 ____________ Date Elementary Failing Students Complete and return to the Counselor the same week that is designated for progress reports. Teacher: ____________________________________ Date: _____________________ ______ All students have satisfactory grades/work at this time. Student 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook Grade 90 Subject Reason Secondary Failing Students Progress Report Grape Creek ISD Grading Period: Teacher: Date of Report: (Grades in italics dropped from average displayed.) (Exc. denotes an excused assignment, Msg. a missed assignment) GEOMETRY Category 1 03/01 PWB p34 1-6 03/05 PWB 7-1 p52 7-15 04/01 p402 6-9 Daily Work 30% 02/22 TAKS Participation 03/02 PWB p34 03/30 p399 1-3 p402 1-4 Category 2 Quiz 30% 03/02 Q4.6 PWB p33 Category 3 Test 40% 03/09 T-7.1 02/24 TAKS Participation 03/03 PWB p52 1-6 03/30 p 402 6-9 03/08 Q-7.1 mixed 1-9 04.01 Test 7.2 Comments Average Category 1 Daily Work 100.00 2 Quiz --3 Test --Overall Average Inc. (F) Parent's Signature ____________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook Student's Signature ___________________________ 91 Elementary Grading Procedures Kindergarten Every nine weeks an academic portfolio is given to each student's parent. These profiles are composed of portfolios and checklists. Profiles are given at required parent conferences at the end of the 1st nine-week reporting period and the 3rd nine-week period. For the 2nd nine-week reporting period and the last, profiles may be sent home or a parent conference may be called by the teacher or the parent. Areas addressed: English/Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Health, Physical Education, Fine Arts, and Social Development 1st – 5th Grades Numerical grades shall be given each six weeks in the following areas: English/Language Arts (Reading, English, Spelling), Math, Social Studies, and Science Letter grades of E, S, N, or U are given for handwriting, fine arts, health, physical education, and conduct. All grades below 70 are considered failing. Secondary Grading Procedures I. Gradebooks: A. Teachers MUST USE GRADEBOOKS for Grades (computer or traditional). B. Use the grade book as it is designed. Be sure your grades in the grade book and those given on the report cards are the same and updated as per campus policy. Normally, you should have at least one grade per week. C. Do not permit students to have access to your grade book or teacher computer. Always keep your gradebook in a "safe" place--never lying unattended on your desk. D. Please be as neat as possible in marking your grade book. E. Be sure all grades are clear. Be sure all explanatory information concerning your grading system is clearly stated on the back of the front cover of your grade book. F. It is imperative that attendance be accurately entered, coded and reported due requirement. to the 90% attendance G. Computer-generated grades are acceptable and should be entered into the computer on a weekly basis or as per campus policy. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 92 II Computations A. Post all grades numerically on a percentage basis from 0% to 100%; for example, a 50 means 50% of the work was correct, a 90 means 90% of the work was correct, etc. B. At the bottom of each grade column, include a brief description of what each grade represented (major test, quiz, etc.). C. Inside the grade book's front cover, include a brief description of the method used for determining each course's six weeks average. D. If any grade results in a decimal fraction of .5 or higher, round the grade to the next highest number. E. Teachers must post all grades numerically in the grade book. F. To determine the semester average: 1. Add the three six weeks averages and multiply by two. 2. Add the semester exam grade to the above average. 3. Divide the resulting number by seven. 1st six weeks grade = 84 x 2 = 168 2nd six weeks grade = 90 x 2 = 180 Homework Policy Homework should be an extension of independent practice in the classroom or short reinforcement of mastered skills and not used as a means of initial instruction. (No parent should be put in a “teaching” position.) Homework should not be used for mastery or discipline management. Assignments should be ability/grade level appropriate. Homework may affect report card grades, but not more than 10%. Homework should not be a determining factor in deciding mastery or non-mastery. If homework is worth assigning, it should be used or graded in a meaningful way. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 93 QUOTE SHEET Date __________________________ Description of Product _______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Vendor 1. _________________________ Phone # Quote Amount _____________________ ___________________ Comments ________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________ _____________________ ___________________ Comments ________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________ _____________________ ___________________ Comments ________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Quote Awarded to: ___________________________________ Reason: ____________________________________________ Quote Completed By: __________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 94 Grape Creek Independent School District Requisition Form School Organization/Class: ____________________ Requisition #: ___________________________ Vendor Name: ______________________________ P.O.#: ___________________________ Address: ___________________________________ Vendor#: _________________________ ___________________________________________ Phone/Fax:________________________ ___________________________________________ Item # Quantity Description Discount Unit Price Unit of Issue Total Amount Shipping and Handling TOTAL PURCHASE Item # Fund Function Object Org. Yr/Prog. Encumbered Amt. Current Amt. Balance Prepared by ________________________________ Date Requested __________________________ Approved by _________________________________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 95 Date ____________________________________ Grape Creek ISD 8207 US HWY 87 NORTH SAN ANGELO, TX 76901 Phone: (325) 658-7823 Fax: (325) 658-8719 S H T I O P ADMINISTRATION 8207 US HWY 87 N SAN ANGELO, TX 76901 V E N D O R ADMINISTRATION 8207 US HWY 87 N SAN ANGELO, TX 76901 Page: 1 of 1 SEQ QTY UNIT 001 1 EA 002 3 EA CATALOG NBR HON314CPL HEWC9723A P.O. NUMBER ATTACHMENTS P.O. DATE DELIVER BY REQ NBR VENDOR NBR REF NBR BID NBR DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE DISCOUNT FREIGHT FILE CABINET 185.00000 .00 .00 Fund-Func-Obj.So-Org-Prog Amt 199-31-6399-00-999-523000 185.00 Total: 185.00 BLUE CARTRIDGES 205.53000 .00 .00 Fund-Func-Obj.So-Org-Prog Amt 199-31-6399-00-999-523000 619.59 Total: 619.59 Approval Path Alternate User Seq Nbr User 00 JANE DOE 01 JOHN DOE 002000 09-01-2005 08-31-2005 000700 00050 VENDOR NOTE TOTAL PRICE 185.00 616.59 Status Date Approved 09-10-2005 Approved 09-11-2005 TOTAL P.O. SAMPLE DISTRICT COPY ORIGINATOR JOHN SMITH FINAL APPROVAL JOHN DOE DATE 08-31-2005 DATE 09-0-2005 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook REQUESTOR JANE DOE DATE 08-31-2005 RECEIVED BY JANE DOE DATE 09-30-2005 96 INITIAL APPROVAL JOHN DOE DATE 09-01-2005 $711.59 EXTRACURRICULAR REQUISITION REQUEST FORM EVENT __________________ DATE OF EVENT____________ # OF ATHLETES______________ BOYS_______________ GIRLS________________ ** (ATTACH A LIST OF STUDENTS ATTENDING) ** ENTRY FEE YES NO $____________ TO BE: MAILED PICKED UP BY___/ /____ CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO _____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS (IF MAILED) _________________________________________________________________ (INVOICE MUST BE ATTACHED) # STUDENT MEALS _______________ ________________ ________________ B‐ $ 5.00 L‐ $ 7.00 D‐ $ 7.00 ($19 TOTAL) # SPONSOR MEALS _______________ ________________ _________________ B‐ $ 7.50 L‐$ 10.00 D‐ $18.50 ($36 TOTAL) IF CLAIMING BREAKFAST YOU MUST LEAVE BEFORE 6 A.M. TO CLAIM DINNER YOU MUST TRAVEL AFTER 6 P.M A/C CODE FOR BOYS ___________________________________________ A/C CODE FOR GIRLS ___________________________________________ A/C CODE FOR COACHES ___________________________________________ REQUISITIONS SUBMITTED TO ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: YES NO TAX EXEMPT PAPERWORK NEEDED? YES NO ______________________________________ _______________________________________ SPONSOR/COACH’S SIGNATURE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL SIGNATURE 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 97 TRAVEL VOUCHER Grape Creek Independent School District 8207 N. US Highway 87 San Angelo, Texas 76901 Vendor #: ____________________ TRAVEL: Date(s) Destination / Location Purpose of Trip PAY TO: _________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Street or P.O. Box Number Dates Covered by This Voucher: City State Zip Code From: __________________ To: ___________________ (Both dates inclusive) FARES – PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION – TAXI (Attach Receipts) $ _________________ PERSONAL CAR MILEAGE: ____________ @ State Rate _________________ HOTEL (Attach Receipts) _________________ MEALS (Attach Receipts _________________ OTHER TRAVELING EXPENSES (Attach Receipts) _________________ TOTAL $ ______________________________________________ SIGNATURE OF CLAIMANT DATE _________________ _________-_______-_____________ EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER # ________________________________________ _______________________________ SIGNATURE OF ADMINISTRATOR DATE FOR BUSINESS OFFICE USE ONLY _________________________________________ ____________________________ SIGNATURE OF DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DATE _________________________________________ ____________________________ SIGNATURE OF SUPERINTENDENT DATE ______________________________________________ ACCOUNT # 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 98 TEXAS SALES AND USE TAX EXEMPTION CERTIFICATION Name of purchaser, firm or agency Grape Creek ISD Address (Street & Number, P.O. Box or Route number) Phone (Area code and number) 8207 Hwy 87 North 325-658-7823 City, State, ZIP Code San Angelo, TX 76901 I, the purchaser named above, claim an exemption from payment of sales and use taxes for the purchase of taxable items described below or on the attached order or invoice form: Seller: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address: __________________________________ City, State, ZIP code: _____________________________________ Description of times to be purchased or on the attached order or invoice: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Purchaser claims this exemption for the following reason: __Educational Institute – Non-Profit Organization__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I understand that I will be liable for payment of sales or use taxes which may become due for failure to comply with the provisions of the Tax Code: Limited Sales, Excise, and Use Tax Act; Municipal Sales and Use Tax Act; Sales and Use Taxes for Special Purpose Taxing Authorities; County Sales and Use Tax Act; County Health Services Sales and Use Tax; The Texas Health and Safety Code; Special Provisions Relating to Hospital Districts, Emergency Services Districts in counties with a population of 125,000 or less. I understand that it is a criminal offense to give an exemption certificate to the seller for taxable items that I know at the time of purchase, will be used in a manner other than that expressed in this certificate and, depending on the amount of tax evaded, the offense may range from a Class C misdemeanor to a felony of the second degree. Purchaser Title sign here Date NOTE: This certificate cannot be issued for the purchase, lease, or rental of a motor vehicle. THIS CERTIFICATE DOES NOT REQUIRE A NUMBER TO BE VALID. Sales and Use Tax "Exemption Numbers" or "Tax Exempt" Numbers do not exist. This certificate should be furnished to the supplier. Do not send the completed certificate to the Comptroller of Public Accounts. 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 99 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 100 Grape Creek Independent School District Student Activity and Transportation Permission Student Information: _______________________________________________________________ (Last Name) (First) (MI) Mailing Address: _______________________________ ___________________ (Phone) Date of Birth: ___________________________ Many of Grape Creek ISD’s curricular and extracurricular activities involve transporting students from school to the site of the activity using school buses or other school-owned or provided vehicles as required under Board Policy FMG (LOCAL). By my signature below, I consent to my minor child’s participation in the following activity(ies): ACTIVITY: and the transportation necessary to participate: I understand that the school district has no liability for any personal injury or death that may occur while my child is participating in curricular and extracurricular activities and that the school district is not responsible for the cost of medical treatment for any injuries that may occur while my child is participating in curricular and extracurricular activities. In case of an emergency, we may need to contact you during this activity. Please provide the following information. _______________________________ __________________________________ Parent Home Phone # Parent Work Phone # __________________________________ Other # _____________________________________ Other # CONSENT TO MEDICAL TREATMENT By my signature below, I authorize the principal or other professional employee who is supervising curricular and extracurricular activities to consent to emergency medical treatment for my minor child’s illness or injury that may occur while my child is participating in curricular and extracurricular activities. Known Allergies: ____________________________________________________________________________ Current Medications: _________________________________________________________________________ Insurance Information: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Insurance Responsible Party: _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ (Parent/Legal Guardian Name-Printed) ______________________________ (Parent/Legal Guardian Signature) Date: _______________ 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 101 8207 N. US Highway 87 San Angelo, Texas 76901 325-658-7823 (Fax) 325-658-8719 Web site: www.grapecreekisd.net Parental Release and Self-Transport Form 1. As the parent or legal guardian of ___________________________________, I will be driving my child or will allow my child to be driven by _________________________, to or from a school-related activity, on _______________________, 201___. 2. The vehicle my child will be driven in is properly insured as required by state law. 3. I understand that GCISD has provided transportation to this event. 4. I understand that in providing for my child’s own transportation separate and apart from the transportation provided by GCISD, I am acting independently and not as an agent and/or an employee of GCISD. 5. I understand that GCISD does not: a) have the right to direct the duties that I am undertaking of driving my child nor does GCISD have the right to direct the duties of the person(s) driving a vehicle containing my child; b) accept direct or incidental benefit from the act of me providing independent transportation for my child; or c) have a right to terminate or replace myself or any person(s) driving a vehicle containing my child. 6. I understand that no compensation for travel expenses shall be paid by GCISD. 7. Consequently, I understand that GCISD assumes no liability in the event of an accident or injury and I further agree to assume all liability and hold GCISD harmless. ______________________________________________ Parent/Legal Guardian Signature ____________________________________ Date ______________________________________________ Student Signature ___________________________________ Date ______________________________________________ GCISD Sponsor Signature 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 102 ___________________________________ Date GRAPE CREEK ISD Child Sexual Abuse Plan 2013-2014 Sexual abuse in the Texas Family Code is defined as any sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare as well as a failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct with a child. Possible physical/behavioral/emotional warning signs of sexual abuse could be: • • • • • • • • • • • • Difficulty sitting or walking Pain in the genital areas Claims of stomachaches and headaches Verbal references or pretend games of sexual activity between adults and children Fear of being alone with adults of a particular gender Sexually suggestive behavior Self-destructive behavior Aggressiveness Withdrawal Depression Sleeping and eating disorders Problems in school Anyone who suspects that a child has been or may be abused or neglected has a legal responsibility, under state law, for reporting the suspected abuse or neglect. Reports may be made by contacting one of the following: Texas Abuse Hotline, 1-800-252-5400 Tom Green County Sheriff’s Department, 655-8111 Call 911 for emergency situations A child who has experienced sexual abuse should be encouraged to seek out a trusted adult. The school counselor or principal can also provide information regarding counseling options for the child. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services also manages early intervention counseling programs. The Austin location may be contacted at 1-512-556-8269 and the San Angelo location may be contacted at 657-7400. See the following websites for more information: Prevent Child Abuse America: www.preventchildabuse.org Prevent Child Abuse Texas: www.preventchildabusetexas.org Texas Association Against Sexual Assault: www.taasa.org Child Welfare Information Gateway: www.childwelfare.gov Texas Department of Family and Protective Services: www.dfps.state.tx.us 2013-2014 GCISD Employee Handbook 103