Lake County board updates professional and personal leave to match state rules

The Lake County Schools board voted July 13 to revise its personnel leave policy so local rules match a recent state change that increases professional leave days for certified staff.

Board members discussed implementation details and whether to frontload days. Superintendent said the state changed the professional-days calculation and recommended amending the district policy so “they're now four and eight,” and staff proposed frontloading sick days while splitting personal days two-and-two across semesters. John moved and Diane seconded the motion; the board carried the policy change in a roll-call vote.

Board members debated fairness across certified and classified staff and whether to add local stipulations (for example, restricting personal days immediately before or after breaks). The superintendent indicated the document follows TSBA recommendations with local adjustments available. The action updates the district’s employee-leave language for the upcoming school year and directs staff to apply the new leave structure in time for the fall semester.