Wentzville Schools Return Half-Day Sick Leave to Staff

The Wentzville Board of Education decided last week to return a half-day of sick leave to certified and support staff.

The school district had assessed a half-day sick leave to all employees to replenish its sick leave bank. All employees participate in the bank, which provides a safety net for employees with extended illnesses or injuries that keep them from working.

The Wentzville National Education Association (WNEA) filed a grievance with the Board of Education regarding the sick day assessment, said Scott Kiehl, the WNEA president.

The current policy allows the district to make the assessment when the bank is depleted.

“Our position was that they hadn’t followed their policy within the last 10 years,” said Kiehl, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at . “Thankfully, the board decided to err on the side of caution. I think it was a fair decision, and in the long run this will be ironed out.”

Kiehl said that until 2006, when the current administration came onboard, the sick leave bank wasn’t tracked properly.

“In 2006, there was a complete change in administration, and since then things have been done properly,” he said. “This year, during the annual audit, a minor issue revealed that they had not tracked the use of the sick leave bank properly.”

To make up for some shortfalls, the district assessed each employee for a half-day of sick leave to contribute to the bank. The district’s current policy allows for that to happen.

However, that could put the sick leave bank on shaky ground.

“At some point, the board may want to reconsider that policy,” said Matt Diechmann, director of community relations for the . “My understanding is that if too many people apply to the bank, it might not be available for others to take advantage of the sick leave bank.”

Kiehl and Diechmann each said they expect the matter to be resolved this spring during negotiations between the district and staff representatives.