Why can’t I use accumulated leave time to extend a paid holiday break?
Q: When I tried to take the Monday and Tuesday off before the Thanksgiving break, I was told I had to deduct it from my vacation time earned; I couldn’t use my state or local leave. Why not?
A: According to the district’s policy on Leaves and Absences (.pdf), discretionary leave (i.e. state and local) cannot be used to extend a district holiday.
It also cannot be used for more than three consecutive days, on staff/professional development days; days scheduled for end-of-semester, end-of-year exams, state-mandated assessments; or during the first week of a new semester.
The policy was implemented under Education Code 22.003 to preserve employees’ leave benefits while minimizing disruption to the district’s instructional programs.