5008P: General Personnel Policy Statement for Classified, Technical, Supervisory and Administrative Employees

I. Welfare Committee

A. Philosophy

The CTSA Welfare Committee relies upon the principles of collaboration and decision making through consensus. This process is congruent with district management philosophy. CTSA welfare issues and concerns will be addressed in a spirit of cooperation using Interest Based Strategies where appropriate.

B. Membership

1. Each of the following three (3) CTSA groups will, through its own processes, select from its members one representative to serve on the CTSA Welfare Committee:

1. Educational Service Center (east and west buildings) – ESC
2. Wilburton Instructional Service Center – WISC
3. Management Service Center (includes Transportation) – MSC In addition, there will be two (2) at large representatives.

2. Each group through its own process may choose to have an alternate available in the event their representative is unable to participate in a scheduled meeting.

3. The superintendent or their designee and the appropriate Human Resources administrator are permanent, participating members of the committee, along with the representatives identified above.

4. If for any reason an elected representative is unable to complete their current term, a replacement representative will be selected to serve on the committee for the remainder of the term. Such selection will be through the processes identified in (1), and/or (1 a).

5. Each group may choose to replace its representative by election if the group chooses to do so. Similarly, the at-large representatives may be replaced by a majority vote of the group as a whole.

C. Term of Representation

Each term of representation will be for two (2) years.

The at-large members would be elected in even years, and designated area representatives would be elected in odd years. 

D. CTSA Welfare Committee

The purpose of the CTSA Welfare Committee is to develop agreement on personnel policies related to:

1. Salaries: By reaching consensus as to the distribution of funds toward the salary levels of CTSA personnel. The superintendent will recommend such adjustments to the Board of Directors.
2. Benefits: Make recommendations related to voluntary benefits that are not provided by the School Employee Benefits Board (SEB).
3. Working Conditions: By reaching consensus about changes and/or improvements in working conditions, such as processes related to grievances, promotions and reclassifications, leaves, and making other modifications to CTSA policy and procedure.
4. Procedure 5008 Review: The CTSA Welfare Committee commits to review Procedure 5008 biannually to make recommendations for modification.

E. Meetings and Agendas

Meetings will be called as needed. Any CTSA member may also request that a meeting be scheduled for the purpose of addressing a welfare issue. Once assembled, the Committee will prepare its own schedule of meetings and agendas for those meetings.

II. Personnel

The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for establishing appropriate application, interviewing, testing, and hiring procedures and shall be responsible for all employment activity including recruitment, examination, and referral of applicants to the appropriate supervisor.

A. Types of Personnel Actions

1. Employment: When a vacancy is to be filled, the supervisor shall review and evaluate the applications and related records referred to him/her by the Human Resources Department. The supervisor shall interview candidates and make a recommendation to the Human Resources Department, or shall request additional candidates, if necessary.
2. Probationary Period: The first 180 calendar days from the time of hire into the CTSA unit shall constitute a probationary period. Sufficient cause for an employee’s termination during a probationary period may be based on any articulable concern or reason of the District that the employee is not performing his or her duties consistent with the District’s expectations. During a probationary period, this determination is at the discretion of the District without a right or expectation of continuing employment and without the right to exercise the grievance process in this policy and procedure. Prior to issuing a recommendation for discharge during the probationary period the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee will notify the employee that such a recommendation will be made and afford the employee an opportunity to express in writing or in person (at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee) any facts or circumstances that might impact the Superintendent’s recommendation. Such notification of the Superintendent’s intended recommendation must occur within 180 calendar days from the time of hire, but the response from the employee, the final recommendation of the Superintendent, and the final decision by the board of directors may occur after the 180 calendar days and still be a probationary period discharge under this provision.
3. Transfer: A transfer shall mean the lateral movement of an employee from one position to another position in the same salary range/classification.
4. Promotion: Promotion shall mean the movement of an employee in a position in a lower range/classification to a position in a higher range/classification.
5. Demotion: A demotion shall mean the movement of an employee from a position in a higher range/classification to a position in a lower range/classification.
6. Reinstatement: Reinstatement shall mean the re-employment of a former employee, an employee who has been laid off, a suspended employee, or an employee who returns from an authorized leave of absence. Employees returning from authorized leaves of absence shall be reinstated in accordance with the specified terms and conditions of such leave and, where applicable, consistent with federal and state law, as well as District policy.

   After completion of the probationary period, a CTSA employee rehired by the District within two (2) years of their most recent employment with the District may be granted full credit for their prior years of service for the purpose of computing vacation and placement on the salary schedule. 

B. Types of Employment

All employment of full-time or part-time district employees covered by this section is year-to-year as required by Washington law with no expectation of continuing employment. Full-time employees are employed on an annual basis from September 1 until August 31 of the following year, with the exception of years when the employment year starts prior to September 1.

1. Full-Time Employees: Employees who are assigned to work at least forty (40) hours per week for a twelve (12) month period.

2. Part-Time Employees: Employees who are assigned to work less than forty (40) hours per week and/or less than twelve (12) months per year. 

3. Temporary: Persons appointed as temporary replacement to cover emergency situations, workload fluctuations, employee absences, or special projects of a limited duration shall be considered temporary employees. Such employees do not have a right or expectation of continuing employment beyond the limited duration for which they were hired, and the following provisions of this procedure do not apply to such employees:

1. There is no requirement that such employees be evaluated under Section III, except as specifically required under subsection B of Section III.
2. Such employees are not entitled to access the Grievance Resolution provisions of Section IV.
3. Such employees are not eligible for leave as provided in Section VI.
4. Such employees do not accumulate vacation and holiday pay as set forth in Section V; and
5. Such employees do not accumulate and are not entitled to any form of leave under Section VI except insofar as such leave is explicitly required by state law. 

C. Separation from Service

All separations from service shall be designated as one of the following:

1. Resignation: An employee who desires to resign should notify their supervisor at least two (2) calendar weeks before their last day of work.
2. Retirement: An employee who resigns for the purpose of retirement shall notify their supervisor at least thirty (30) days prior to the designated retirement date as delineated in Policy 5280, Termination of Employment, Section C.
3. Layoff During Employee Work Year: A full-time or part-time employee may be laid off by the District because of lack of funding, lack of work, change in structure of the organization, modification of the type of work resulting in a change of assigned job classifications, programmatic changes by the District’s board of directors or for other reasons that do not reflect on the employee's work performance in accordance with Policy 5281, Section E, Program and Staff Reductions, and Procedure 5281. All layoffs require prior approval of the Human Resources Department. An employee to be laid off shall be given written notice thirty (30) days before the effective date of the layoff. In lieu of layoff, an employee may be considered for demotion or transfer.

   An employee to be laid off shall be given an opportunity to compete for appropriate vacancies for which they are qualified. If an employee is not placed into another position, they may request a review by Human Resources of the qualifications required for the position. An employee to be laid off under this provision may not request a review of the termination by the Board of Directors.

4. Discharge: The process for discharge of a full-time or part-time employee shall be governed by Policy 5280, Section F, Involuntary Termination, and Procedure 5280.
5. Other Termination: Any other termination not considered as described above will be in accordance with any applicable law or other restriction.

III. Performance Evaluation

A. Regular Employees

1. At least annually, each employee shall meet with their supervisor to discuss the employee's work performance expectations.
2. Each employee shall receive an annual written evaluation at the end of the employee work year or prior to August 31st. The evaluations will be in a format chosen by the District and shall concern an employee's work performance, focusing on strengths and opportunities for improvement with specific direction and guidance where appropriate. The supervisor shall meet with and discuss the evaluation with the employee being evaluated. Evaluations shall be electronic and designated as part of the employee’s personnel file in a format that meets legal requirements for access to records, privacy, and retention.
3. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to inform an employee of areas in which improvement is needed as soon as possible following the time when a deficiency is identified, and to provide guidance to the employee with regard to the District’s expectations and specific steps required for improvement.

B. Probationary Status

1. Supervisors or a designee shall meet with probationary employees within the first week of employment to discuss the duties, responsibilities, and expectations of said new employee. The supervisor will review as necessary the probationary employee's performance during their 180 calendar day probationary period in a new position and recommend whether the employee shall be retained. The supervisor also may recommend that the employee's probationary period be extended for an additional ninety calendar days. An employee whose probation has been extended shall have their salary remain at 95% during the remainder of the extended probationary period. The employee shall have their salary adjusted to Step A on the completion of the 6th month of employment or the end of their probationary period if extended beyond 108 calendar days.
2. An essential aspect of supervision is that the employee will be informed of deficiencies or concerns as soon as possible following when such deficiencies are identified and provided with guidance regarding the District’s expectations and specific steps needed for improvement.

IV. Grievance Resolution

Whenever possible, an employee should first attempt to address a grievance or concern informally with the employee’s supervisor and provide the supervisor an opportunity to remedy the situation.

A. Step One

If the grievance or concern cannot be resolved to the employee’s satisfaction through the informal process or the employee does not believe the informal process is appropriate given the nature of the concern, the employee may proceed to a Step One grievance. Within twenty (20) calendar days of the time an employee knew or should have known of the incident or event giving rise to the grievance, the grievant will submit the grievance in writing to their immediate supervisor. This written grievance shall include:

1. The nature of the grievance.
2. Identification of the policy(ies)/procedure(s) that allegedly has/have been misinterpreted or misapplied, if any; and
3. The recommended solution to the grievance. A copy of the grievance shall also be sent to the appropriate Human Resources administrator. The supervisor shall meet with the employee to resolve the grievance. Within twenty (20) calendar days after receipt of the grievance, the supervisor shall communicate a written response to the grievant. If additional time is reasonably required to appropriately investigate a grievance or concern, the supervisor may notify the grievant that an additional ten (10) calendar days is required to respond to the grievant and the reason for doing so.

B. Step Two

If the grievant is not satisfied with the resolution at Step One, or the supervisor fails to respond within the time periods stated above, the grievant may, within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of the written response from Step One or within ten (10) calendar days from the final day in which such a written response was due, submit the grievance to the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for action or referral. The Assistant Superintendent or designee shall meet with the grievant to resolve the grievance. Within twenty (20) calendar days after receipt of the grievance, the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources or designee shall communicate a written response to the grievant. The Step Two response shall be final and there shall be no further appeal within the District.

V. CTSA Vacation and Holiday Pay

A. Implementation

Full-year employees and any employee entering the CTSA group after the approval of this procedure by the Board will be paid as described herein.

B. Recognized District Paid Holidays

September Labor Day	February Presidents’ Day
November Veteran’s Day Thanksgiving Day Day after Thanksgiving	May Memorial Day
December   Christmas Day Designated Day*	June Juneteenth
January New Year’s Day Designated Day* Martin Luther King Day	July Independence Day

*The District shall designate the day before or after Christmas and New Year’s Day as the recognized paid holiday each year.

C. Group I - Full-Year Assignments

Employees who work full-year assignments will be paid for workdays, vacation days, and holidays based on the following schedule:

Non-exempt	Vacation
Years of Service	Days	Holidays
1 thru 5	14*	13*
6 thru 9	18	13
Over 10	22	13

 

Exempt	Vacation
Years of Service	Days	Holidays
1 thru 5	20*	13*
6 thru 9	25	13
Over 10	30	13

*Used to calculate premium percentages for less than full-year CTSA staff.

Employees who work full-year assignments may carry forward unused vacation time from year to year to a maximum of 352 hours as of the timecard cut-off date for the September payroll. All employees who are separating from employment may cash out a maximum of two-hundred forty (240) hours of accrued vacation.

Annual vacation hours are determined by multiplying the identified number of vacation days from the appropriate classification (Exempt/Non-exempt) and years of service level by the employee assigned hours per day. Vacation hours are accrued monthly on the basis of 1/12th of the annual hours. Time sheets are required to record vacation used. Full-year employees may accumulate vacation as provided above. 

D. Group II

Employees who work less than full-year assignments but equal to or more than 1,500 assigned work hours for non-exempt employees and equal to or more than 1,460 work hours for exempt employees are included in Group II. Added pay for holidays and vacation will be calculated as a premium percent based solely on 1 thru 5 years of experience ratios for full-year employees; that is, employees in Group II will not receive additional holiday and vacation pay for years of service beyond four years.

Non-Exempt Employee Percent

Vacation days (14) + holidays (13) = 11.5385% (234 workdays)

Exempt Employee Percent

Vacation days (20) + holidays (13) = 14.4737% (228 workdays) No vacation will accumulate, and no vacation absence time sheets will be required.

E. Group III

Less than full-year non-exempt employees who have less than 1,500 assigned work hours and exempt employees who have less than 1,460 work hours will be included in Group III. Added pay for holidays only will be calculated as a premium percent based solely on 1 through 5 years of experience ratio for full-year employees:

Non-Exempt Employee Percent Holidays (13) = 5.5556% (234 workdays)

Exempt Employee Percent Holidays (13) = 5.7018% (228 workdays)

F. Vacation Buy Back

Each CTSA employee may cash out up to three (3) vacation days annually at per diem. All requests for cashing out days must be submitted to payroll no later than June 15 of each year.

G. Vacation Credit for Employees New to CTSA

1. Employees hired into a CTSA position and who are current BSD employees shall have their vacation accrual transferred. This transfer includes:

1. Unused vacation available at the time of hire into CTSA.
2. District years of service for future accrual rates in a regular position.

2. Employees hired from outside the District shall be provided vacation accrual of 1 – 5 years unless:

1. A request from the hiring manager based upon the position and market value indicates a need to offer vacation up to the accrual rate of 6 – 9 years.
2. The newly hired employee has years of experience working in the same or similar position in another school district, at which time vacation accrual can be set at the actual years of service level.

VI. Leaves

A. Leave of Absence

A leave of absence for a period not to exceed one year may be granted by the Board of Directors to an employee subject to such terms and conditions as the Board shall determine. Such terms and conditions will include a stipulation as to whether the employee shall be guaranteed a position upon return from leave and shall be embodied in writing and signed by the employee and the Superintendent prior to the granting of a leave.

Leave of absence will be granted by the Board only upon receipt of a statement from the employee's immediate supervisor and the Superintendent that the requested leave is in the best interest of the District and that a qualified replacement is available. 

B. Bereavement Leave

Bereavement leave is defined as leave for the purpose of mourning the death of a family member or others. Bereavement leave is intended to be applied in a timely manner related to the death of the individual. The District has established a time frame of thirty (30) days from the time of death to be considered eligible for bereavement leave. Bereavement leave will be granted and paid by the District. Bereavement leave shall be non-cumulative and shall not be deducted from the employee’s accumulated general leave.

It is understood that sometimes a memorial service, funeral or other activity may occur later than one month after the death. In such cases, the District may grant the bereavement leave, provided there is sufficient documentation to account for the time of the memorial service. Employees who serve as executors to an estate or have other legal considerations may use Personal Leave to take care of affairs of the deceased.

The District may allow up to five (5) days per event of paid bereavement leave for the death of an employee’s family member. The District may allow up to one (1) day per event of paid bereavement leave for the death of an employee’s non-family member not to exceed three (3) occurrences per fiscal year.

In situations where serious personal complications occur because of bereavement, the employee may be granted an extended leave of absence without pay not to exceed ninety (90) calendar days upon approval of the Superintendent in accordance with Section V. A of this procedure.

Generally, bereavement leave requests shall be granted with an understanding that a request may not automatically result in five (5) days of leave taken as bereavement. Should there be a concern regarding the appropriate use of bereavement leave, Human Resources may require specific documentation related to the bereavement request. 

C. Leave for Civic Duty

An employee may be granted a leave of absence for jury duty or to serve as a witness at trials and shall be paid their regular salary, provided the employee is not the plaintiff or defendant in an action. For employees working less than a forty (40) hour week, the deduction shall be prorated according to hours worked. On any day that an employee is released from jury duty or a witness by the court and four or more hours of the employee’s scheduled workday remain, the employee is to immediately inform their supervisor and report to work if requested to do so. 

D. General Leave

1. Full-time employees are authorized twelve (12) days of general leave to be used for illness, injury, or emergencies as of September 1st for the ensuing year.
2. Less than full-time employees are authorized one (1) day per month of their employment period as of September 1st for the ensuing year. A leave will include the number of hours the employee regularly is scheduled to work per day.
3. The following leaves shall be deducted from the employee’s general leave balance: illness, injury, emergency, personal, ceremony and religious leave.
4. General leave may be accumulated from year to year to the maximum allowed by law.
5. Unused leave credits will be compensated for in accordance with applicable law.
6. Unused general leave credits shall be transferred to, or received from, other school districts in the state of Washington in accordance with applicable law.
7. Leave sharing will be permitted in accordance with State law and District policy.

E. Use of Leave for Illness or Injury

Illness or disability shall be reported at the beginning of any period of leave to the District by the employee or a person acting for him/her. Disabilities caused or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth, and recovery therefrom are, for all job-related purpose, temporary disabilities. A physician's certificate of illness or injury may be required for approval of leave for illness or injury after two (2) consecutive workdays of absence. In the event the District has reason to believe an absent employee is not ill or injured, a physician's statement may be required for any absence. The employee will be notified prior to their return that a physician's certificate is necessary. A written statement also may be requested from a regularly licensed physician which indicates the last day of physical disability. 

Payments to employees suffering illness or injury compensable under industrial insurance provisions shall be reduced by the amount of money received by the employees from industrial insurance payments. Employees shall be allowed leave for illness or injury up to the amount of their earned credits under the following conditions:

1. During an illness or injury which has incapacitated the employee from performing their duties.
2. During the infectious period following the exposure of an employee to a contagious disease during which their attendance on duty would jeopardize the health of fellow employees or the public.
3. For the purpose of medical, dental, or optical appointments, if arranged in advance with the immediate supervisor.
4. In accordance with the Family Care Act, an employee may use any earned illness and/or vacation leave for the purpose of caring for the following family members: (a) an employee’s minor child (under the age of 18) who has a health condition that requires treatment or supervision; (b) an employee’s adult child (eighteen years of age or older) who is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability; or (c) an employee’s spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent who has a serious health condition or an emergency condition.

F. Use of General Leave for an Emergency

1. Emergency leave shall be designated by the District for it to be used. Should a school or District closure be determined, employees who are unable to work may take general leave accumulated by the employee for the days designated eligible by the District. This designation of emergency leave does not require any preapproval.
2. An employee who is unable to work because of personal illness, injury, or quarantine and who has exhausted all sick leave benefits shall be granted a leave of absence without pay with continued District health insurance contribution until the expiration of their current assignment.

G. Personal Leave

Employees will be allowed up to three (3) days per year of personal leave. This leave will come from the employee’s general leave. This leave may be used for personal matters that may include legal or business matters that cannot be attended to during a weekend or holiday. Personal leave must be taken in full day increments. Employees and their supervisors are encouraged to have open communication related to the use of personal leave. Supervisors have some discretion related to flexible schedules and modifications for time requests that may not require a whole day of leave. Pre-approval shall be required for the use of personal leave except as designated in Section VI, Subsection F of this procedure. 

1. Personal leave may be used by an employee under the following general conditions:

1. The problem must have been suddenly precipitated and must be of such a nature that preplanning was not possible or that preplanning could not relieve the necessity for the employee's absence.
2. The problem cannot be one of minor importance or mere convenience but must be serious.
3. The decision regarding whether the leave will be considered as personal will be transmitted to the employee upon review by the supervisor and submitted with the monthly leave reporting requirements.

H. Leave - Religious Purposes

Employees will be granted up to two (2) days of unpaid leave per school year for a reason of faith or conscience or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. The District will allow this leave in conformity with state law unless the employee's absence would impose an undue hardship on the District, or the employee presence is necessary to maintain public safety.

“Undue hardship” is defined under RCW 43.41.109. Employees may also use general leave for religious observance.

I. Professional Leave

An employee may be allowed leave with pay to attend classes, conferences, seminars etc., which would enhance the job performance of said employee. Professional leave is district paid and is not deducted from the employee’s general leave. Prior approval must be obtained from the employee’s immediate supervisor.

J. Leave Exceptions

Unusual or extraordinary circumstances may exist with an individual employee regarding leave requests. In such cases, Human Resources will make every effort to mitigate the situation with the employee.

VII. Salary & Compensation Administration for All Classified Employees

A. Administration

The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for the interpretation and Administration of these procedures. The Human Resources Department shall devise such detailed procedures and forms and shall maintain such records as are deemed necessary and appropriate to carry out the aims of the classified personnel program of the District as defined by Board policies and these procedures. All procedures shall be carried out in a timely manner.

B. Job Classification

1. Definitions

1. Class or Job Family - a group of positions similar enough in nature of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications to warrant the same title and the same treatment for recruitment, selection, layoffs, and salary range assignment. (Examples: Administrative Support, Technology, Maintenance).
2. Class Specification - a formal description of a class which includes examples of work and typical duties, qualifications needed to perform the work at entry, and other factors, which distinguish how one class differs from another.
3. Job Evaluation Plan - a system of identifying and describing the different kinds and levels of work, placing similar positions together in classes, and determining the hierarchical relationship of these classes.
4. Position - a set of duties and responsibilities assigned to one individual. (Example: Network Engineer)
5. Position or Job Description - a detailed written description of a particular position, its duties, responsibilities, required experience, education, classification and pay rate on file and approved by Human Resources. 
6. Reclassification - assignment of a position from one class or salary range to another class, usually because of a substantial change in duties. Upward reclassifications are called upgrades; downward reclassifications are called downgrades.
7. Reorganization - a significant change in an organizational structure that results in the need to reclassify positions. If, as a result of such reorganization, a position's duties and responsibilities are 50% or more different from before the reorganization, the old position will be eliminated, and a new position created.
8. Salary Placement - an individual employee's placement within the pay grade assigned to their position, which determines the actual salary earned.

2. Salary Steps – the minimum and maximum dollar amount to be paid at a specified pay grade. The current CTSA salary range has a probationary wage at 95% and regular wage at Step A, longevity at Step B at the completion of three (3) years, and longevity Step C at the completion of six (6) years.

3. Position Review Procedure

a. The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for reviewing and classifying positions and for preparing and authorizing salary placement and class or job family.

b. A review of a position, or a class of positions, will occur whenever a new position is created, a position has undergone substantive change, or whenever the appropriate Human Resources administrator deems a review advisable. A position may not be advertised or filled until the position review is completed by Human Resources. 

c. A supervisor and/or an employee may request a review of a position, update of a class specification or job family, or reorganization of position duties by completing a "Request for Position Review," for each affected position. A position will be reviewed if a substantive change has been made or if the position has not been reviewed for at least one year and changes have been made.

d. If a position is reclassified, the effective date of the reclassification will be the date the initiator signs the Request for Position Review to begin the review process. If there are special circumstances, which have affected the filing date, an appeal may be made by the employee and supervisor to the Human Resources Department asking for reconsideration of the effective date. However, in no circumstance will retroactive pay be more than one year. 

e. The Human Resources Department analysis and evaluation will be based upon factors such as:

1. Assigned duties and responsibilities
2. Minimum qualifications to perform work at entry
3. Knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform work at entry
4. Working conditions
5. Complexity
6. Independence
7. Amount and type of supervision
8. Authority
9. Type and purpose of contacts
10. Other factors that may apply

f. The appropriate Human Resources administrator shall report the results of the review of a position to the Administrator with budget responsibility for the position(s) and shall notify the immediate supervisor and the affected employee of such results. The reclassification of a position within the Human Resources Department shall be approved by a Deputy Superintendent to avoid the perception of conflict of interest.

g. Positions that are reclassified as a result of a position review shall be approved by the Board of Directors as a personnel action item.

4. Reorganizations

1. The Human Resources Department shall be responsible for classifying positions changed or created by reorganization before such reorganization is implemented.
2. Requests for Position Review resulting from reorganization proposals shall be processed by the Human Resources Department upon approval of the reorganization by the Executive Team.
3. Any approved reorganization that results in a position that is reclassified to a higher rate of pay shall have a specific date designated as the beginning date for the work associated with the position and the commensurate salary prior to implementing the change. 

5. Rights to Reclassified Position

1. Whenever the title of a class or the salary range assigned to a class is changed without a change in duties or responsibilities, the incumbent(s) shall remain in the position(s). 
2. Whenever a position is reclassified from one class to a higher class because of a gradual accretion of duties and responsibilities, the incumbent shall remain in the position provided that they meet the minimum qualifications for the higher position and successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.
3. Whenever a position is eliminated and a new position created because of reorganization, or for any other reason not addressed in (4a) and (4b) above, the position will be advertised and filled through a competitive selection process. If the former incumbent is not selected, they will be on layoff, as governed by (4e) below.
4. Whenever a position is reclassified from one class to a lower class, the employee may opt to remain in the position or may accept a layoff as governed by (6e) below.
5. Whenever an incumbent is laid off due to reclassification from (6c) or (6d) above, they will be interviewed by the Human Resources Department to determine alternate skills and abilities to qualify the employee for other District positions which might be open. Consideration will be given to such employees for equivalent vacant positions for one year from date of layoff.

6. Appeal Process

1. When a classification decision has been made and the affected employee and/or supervisor disagrees with the decision, they may request, within ten (10) days of receipt of the decision, an appeal conference by submitting a "Request for Position Review" to the Human Resources Department.
2. Upon receipt of the appeal request, an appeal conference will be scheduled. The employee and/or supervisor may attend. The appeal board is comprised of the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, a director appointed by the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, a representative selected by the CTSA Welfare Committee, and an administrative designee from a different department than the employee requesting the appeal. 
3. The appeal conference shall be conducted as a fact-finding session to learn position considerations that may have been misunderstood in the original decision. Following the conference, the appeal board shall deliberate in private. The decision shall be communicated no later than ten (10) business days from the conclusion of the appeals conference. Said decision shall be final.

C. Salaries and Wages

1. Starting Salary

1. Employees new to the CTSA unit hired from outside of the District or from another unit within the District, shall be placed by the Human Resources Department on the salary schedule in the salary range assigned to the class. The new CTSA employee will be placed at the 95% step and upon successful completion of the 180-calendar day probationary period, shall be moved to step A.
2. Current District employees promoted from outside of CTSA shall be placed at step A if their 95% salary is less than the salary in their prior position.

2. Salary Changes from One Pay Grade to Another

1. Employees promoted within the CTSA group from one class to a higher class shall be placed at step A provided they have completed the initial probationary period. An employee may be moved to Step B or C to ensure a minimum of a 5% increase in base wages upon receiving a promotion.
2. Employees transferred from one class to another in the same salary range shall be placed at the same salary rate as previously held, resulting in no change in salary.
3. Employees moved from one pay grade to a lower pay grade through a bumping process shall be frozen at their current salary for a period not to exceed one year, if their present salary is above the top step of the lower salary range. After a year, the employee shall be placed at a salary rate within the lower range. Employees in positions reclassified from one class to a higher class shall be placed as on promotion in (2. Salary Changes from One Pay Grade to Another, a) above.
4. An employee reclassified from one pay grade to a lower pay grade who opts to remain in the position as in (Section B. Job Classification, 6. Rights to a Reclassified Position d) above shall be frozen at their present salary if such salary is above the top step of the lower salary range, until the frozen salary falls within the assigned range. If the present salary falls within the lower range, the employee will be placed at the identical rate in the lower range.
5. Employees accepting a voluntary reduction to a lower pay grade shall be placed at the same step in the pay grade from which being reduced, provided that, should the voluntary reduction occur within six months of promotion to a higher pay grade, the employee shall return to the salary rate held before promotion.
6. Employees demoted for cause shall be placed as in (2f). Employees returning from layoff to the same pay grade from which layoff occurred shall be placed at the same step as previously held. Employees returning from layoff to a lower pay grade from which layoff occurred shall receive the same rate as before layoff, provided that, should such rate exceed the top step of the lower pay grade, it shall be frozen for a period of time not to exceed one year. After a year, the employee shall be placed in the lower pay grade at a step closest to the current salary. 

3. Step Movement for Longevity

1. Employees shall be initially placed at a longevity step beginning September 1, 2022. This initial placement is for transition from the previous salary schedule and may not reflect actual years of service in the position or job family.
2. Employees shall move to the next longevity step upon completion of length of duration at each step. Step movement shall occur annually, effective each September 1st.
3. Probation shall be completed at the end of 180 calendar days. Upon successful completion, the employee shall be moved to step A.
4. Employees on step A shall remain until the completion of their third (3rd) year and will be moved to Step B beginning September 1st of the ensuing year.
5. Employees on step B shall remain until the completion of their sixth (6th) year and will be moved to step C beginning September 1st of the ensuing year.

   EXAMPLES

   Probationary	Start date – October 1 – Initial placement at 95%	Completion of 180 days – March 29, move to step A
   Step A	Start date – October 1, 2021 – Placed on Step A	Remains on Step A until September 1, 2024
   Step B	Start date – March 2016, Placed on Step B	Remains on Step B until September 1, 2023

4. Stipends

In the event the Superintendent determines that it is appropriate, stipends may be awarded to an individual CTSA employee assigned to an extraordinary responsibility.

5. Per Diem

Salary per diem for CTSA employees will be calculated based on the reduction of holidays and vacations days from the full 12-month work year.

6. Exempt and Non-Exempt Positions

Positions designated as covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (positions paid on an hour basis for up to 40 hours per week) are eligible for overtime to be paid at the rate of one and one half (1.5) times the regular hourly rate.

For a regular work week consisting of five workdays, all hours worked over forty (40) hours are to be compensated at the overtime rate.

For any work week with a District designated paid holiday or holidays, all hours worked and combined with paid holidays that exceed forty (40) hours are to be compensated at the overtime rate. 

For any work week that includes an employee absence covered by paid sick leave, vacation, or other elective paid time off, hours worked up to forty (40) hours will be compensated at the regular hourly rate. Time to be considered for overtime eligibility shall be based upon the hours worked above forty (40) hours.

All overtime or time worked above the employee’s budgeted position hours need to be preapproved by the employee’s supervisor.

D. Benefits

1. Benefits Provided by the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB)

Employees who work more than 630 hours during the school year are eligible for benefits provided by SEBB and administered by Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). Benefits include medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, accidental death, and dismemberment (AD&D) and long-term disability (LTD) insurance. The employee pays additional premium costs above base plan selection.

2. Additional Voluntary Benefits Provided by SEBB

Employees may select additional benefits for life insurance, accidental death, and dismemberment (AD&D), long-term disability, flexible spending arrangement (FSA) and dependent care assistance program (DCAP). The employee pays additional premium costs and expenses associated with the additional voluntary benefit selections.

3. Additional Voluntary Benefits Provided by the District

Employees may select additional voluntary benefits as provided by the District. The employee pays additional premium costs and expenses associated with the additional voluntary benefit selections.

4. VEBA

Eligible CTSA employees will vote annually to participate in the Voluntary Employee Benefit Account (VEBA) for all employees who retire between September 1st and August 31st of each year. The annual vote must take place by December 31st of each year.

E. Retirement System

Participation All eligible employees will be covered by the appropriate retirement system as required by law.

F. Deductions

The District shall deduct from an employee's salary and make appropriate remittance for insurance plans, medical plans, retirement plans, tax sheltered annuities, credit union, or any other plans or programs approved by the District upon receipt of written authorization from the employee.

VII. Professional Development

A. Funds

The District shall provide each CTSA employee working at least half-time (.5 FTE) funds to be used for professional development.

Employees less than 1.0 FTE shall be allocated $500 annually. Employees in a 1.0 FTE position shall be allocated $1,000 annually. Employees who work more than half of the contract year shall receive the full $1,000 for that year. Employees who work less than half of the contract year shall receive $500 for the portion of the year worked.

B. Acceptable Use of Funds

1. Professional development funds may be used for membership in a professional organization, support for the employee’s professional development, improvement of individual employee skills or use for post-secondary education at an accredited institution.
2. Funds may be used for registration at conferences or workshops, related fees, per diem, and travel related to conferences and workshops.
3. The purchase of books or software applications related to the employee’s professional development.

C. Purchases not Covered by Professional Development Funds

The purchase of equipment such as computers, electronic devices or other equipment may not be made with professional development funds.

D. Prior Approval

All requests for use of professional development funds must have prior approval. For expenditures related to out of state travel, all approvals must adhere to Procedure 6213P, Travel Authorization and Travel Expense Reimbursement.

E. Accrual of Funds

Employees may roll over professional development funds not used in a fiscal year. Employees may accrue up to $4,000 of professional development funds.