Sheridan school district approves employee damages policy on second reading

SHERIDAN (WNE) —- The Sheridan County School District 2 board approved on second reading a policy specifying the damages employees would be required to pay the district if they end their contract early.
 
A change to the policy regarding staff suspension, dismissal, termination and resignation of employment policy would deduct 5% of employees’ annual contract salaries if they request a release from their contracts or tender a resignation that is not approved, or otherwise fail to complete the term of their contracts, according to the policy. 
 
The previous policy set the amount of that deduction at $3,000.
 
“We did the whole walkthrough of, ‘What if I’m a staff member, and I have to take care of my mother or my father?’ And the answer was there is the leave bank and there’s (the Family Medical Leave Act). So there are options for staff to use besides just resigning,” Trustee Shelta Rambur said.
 
The policy will need a third/final reading and a vote by the board at a future meeting to be approved.
 
This story was published on January 10, 2024.