Payment of employees; reimbursement for private transportation; certain sick leave policies; unpaid educational leave for certain employee association officers

A. Each school board shall provide for the payment of teachers, principals, assistant principals, and other employees monthly, semimonthly, or biweekly, as may be determined by the school board.

However, school boards setting the school calendar so that the first day students are required to attend occurs prior to August 15 shall establish a payment schedule to ensure that all contract personnel are compensated for time worked within the first month of employment.

B. All school board employees may be reimbursed for private transportation at a rate not to exceed that which is authorized for persons traveling on state business in accordance with § 2.2-2825 . Whatever rate is paid, however, shall be the same for school board members and employees of the board.

C. Each local school board shall adopt policies providing for leave without pay for school board employees with debilitating or life-threatening illness or injury, without regard to the employee's length of service with the school board.

D. Each school board shall adopt a policy that requires the school board to approve unpaid educational leave for school board employees who are state employee association executive officers and for up to two school board employees who are local employee association officers for a maximum of four years per officer. Employee association officers approved for such leave may purchase service credit with the Virginia Retirement System pursuant to § 51.1-142.2 for such period of leave.

Code 1950, §§ 22-57.2, 22-72; 1954, c. 289; 1956, Ex. Sess., c. 60; 1959, Ex. Sess., c. 79, § 1; 1966, c. 691; 1968, c. 139; 1970, c. 71; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 161; 1972, c. 511; 1975, cc. 308, 328; 1980, c. 559; 1998, c. 872 ; 2003, cc. 531 , 557 ; 2005, c. 486 ; 2019, cc. 569 , 570 ; 2026, c. 563 .