Oklahoma § 70-509.12 - Employee leave of absence

§ 70-509.12. Employee leave of absence

A. A school district board of education may approve a request

from a school district employee for a leave of absence to hold

office as an officer, director, trustee, or agent of a national,

statewide, or school district employee association. The employee

requesting the leave shall provide the school district

superintendent with proof of election and proof of the term of

office for the national, statewide, or school district employee

association. Proof of election shall include but not be limited to

certification by the national, statewide, or school district

employee association of the date of the election and the results of

the election. Board of education approval for leave requested

pursuant to this section shall have definitive beginning and end

dates.

B. Leave granted pursuant to this section shall be leave

without pay. The school employee on leave shall not be entitled to

maintain any benefits granted by the school district regardless of

whether the benefit is paid by the employee on leave or the

association for which the person is serving as an officer, director,

trustee, or agent.

C. During the leave period, the school employee's position with

the school district shall be maintained without advancement on the

minimum salary schedule adopted pursuant to Section 5-141 of Title

70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and with no accrual of sick leave,

personal business leave, or personal leave. The employee on leave

shall not accumulate service credit within the Teachers' Retirement

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools

System of Oklahoma. Following the term of leave granted pursuant to

the provisions of this section, the employee granted leave may

return to his or her former position or a comparable position.

D. A school district employee granted leave pursuant to the

provisions of this section shall be prohibited from accessing school

district office space.

E. If a national, statewide, or school district employee

association that serves as a school district employee organization

established pursuant to Section 509.2 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma

Statutes fails to comply with the provisions of this section, the

school district board of education shall no longer recognize the

organization as a representative of employees.

Added by Laws 2022, c. 135, § 1.