Hickman County Board of Education
Descriptor Code:
Issued Date:
Descriptor Term:
5.302
05/04/26
Sick Leave
Rescinds:
Issued:
5.302
02/03/25
1
LICENSED PERSONNEL
2
The time allowed for sick leave for professional personnel shall be one (1) day for each month
3
employed during the school year and shall accumulate for an unlimited number of days.⁺
4
Professional personnel shall earn sick leave as outlined below and these days shall accumulate for an
5
unlimited number of days.
6
10-month contract = 8 sick days earned per year
7
11-month contract = 9 sick days earned per year
8
12-month contract = 10 sick days earned per year
9
Sick leave shall be defined as: illness of a teacher from natural causes or accident, quarantine, or
10
illness or death of a member of the immediate family of a teacher, including the teacher's wife or
11
husband, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, father-in-law,
12
daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.²
13
A signed statement listing the cause of absence shall be provided by the employee on forms furnished
14
by the director of schools and shall promptly be given to the immediate supervisor in support of all
15
claims for sick leave pay. A falsified statement shall be grounds for dismissal. An employee absent for
16
five (5) consecutive working days shall submit a doctor's statement verifying illness or injury of the
17
employee or immediate family member.
18
Frequent use and/or suspected misuse of sick leave by an employee are sufficient grounds for requiring
19
a physician's certificate stating the reason for absence.
20
A certificate from the physician on forms furnished by the Board may be required in support of any
21
claim for sick leave pay.
22
In case of doubt, the Board of Education shall have final authority as to who is entitled to leave under
23
this section and the time for which the leave may be allowed.
24
A teacher in need of sick leave shall be allowed to use unearned sick leave up to the amount of days
25
which such teacher may accumulate during the remainder of the school year in which he is employed.
26
Such advance use of sick leave shall be charged to sick leave accumulated in the same school year.
27
Upon termination of the employment of such teacher-before-such-days are earned or at the end of the
28
school year, there shall be deducted from the final salary of each teacher an amount based on his daily
29
rate of pay sufficient to cover the excess sick leave days used by him and if such final salary is
Version Date: June 23. 2026
Sick Leave
5.302
1
insufficient for this purpose the teacher shall be liable for reimbursement of any amount in excess of
2
his final salary.
3
The principal shall notify the director of schools' office at once if an employee is sick beyond the limit
4
of his/her sick leave accumulation. The substitute teacher, beyond this point, must have a certificate or
5
permit and must be paid according to the state salary scale.
6
Permanent, cumulative sick leave records for each active professional employee shall be kept in the
7
director of schools' office.
8
A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his/her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee
9
school system, provided that the director of schools of the system in which the accumulated leave was
10
held provides notarized verification. 3
11
SUPPORT PERSONNEL
12
Sick leave shall be the same for support personnel as for certified employees.
13
The time allowed (days earned) for sick leave shall be one (1) day for each month an employee is
14
employed except bus drivers, who shall earn one half (1/2) day for each month employed.
15
Sick leave shall be cumulative for all earned days not used.
16
At the termination of the employment of any employee, all unused sick leave accumulated by the
17
employee shall be terminated.
18
The immediate supervisor may require a physician's certificate stating the reason for absence.
19
Frequent and misuse of sick leave by an individual are sufficient grounds for requiring a physician's
20
certificate stating the reason for absence.
21
A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his/her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee
22
school system, provided that the director of schools of the system in which the accumulated leave was
23
held provides notarized verification.
Legal References
Cross References
Page 2 of 3
Sick Leave
5.302
1.
TCA 49-5-710(a)(1); Public Acts of 2026, Chapter
Workers' Compensation 3.602
No. 1022
Orientation and Probation 5.107
2.
TRR/MS 0520-01-02-.04(2)
Short Term Leaves of Absence 5.300
3.
TCA 49-5-710(a)(5)
Family and Medical Leave 5.305
Physical Assault Leave 5.307
Page 3 of 3

## Table 1

|  | Hickman County Board of | Education |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Descriptor Term: Sick Leave | Descriptor Code: 5.302 | Issued Date: 05/04/26 |
|  |  | Rescinds: 5.302 | Issued: 02/03/25 |

## Table 2

| 1 2 | insufficient for this purpose the teacher shall be liable for reimbursement of any amount in excess of his final salary. |
| --- | --- |
| 3 4 5 | The principal shall notify the director of schools' office at once if an employee is sick beyond the limit of his/her sick leave accumulation. The substitute teacher, beyond this point, must have a certificate or permit and must be paid according to the state salary scale. |
| 6 7 | Permanent, cumulative sick leave records for each active professional employee shall be kept in the director of schools' office. |
| 8 9 10 | A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his/her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee school system, provided that the director of schools of the system in which the accumulated leave was held provides notarized verification. 3 |
| 11 | SUPPORT PERSONNEL |
| 12 | Sick leave shall be the same for support personnel as for certified employees. |
| 13 14 | The time allowed (days earned) for sick leave shall be one (1) day for each month an employee is employed except bus drivers, who shall earn one half (1/2) day for each month employed. |
| 15 | Sick leave shall be cumulative for all earned days not used. |
| 16 17 | At the termination of the employment of any employee, all unused sick leave accumulated by the employee shall be terminated. |
| 18 | The immediate supervisor may require a physician's certificate stating the reason for absence. |
| 19 20 | Frequent and misuse of sick leave by an individual are sufficient grounds for requiring a physician's certificate stating the reason for absence. |
| 21 22 23 | A teacher, upon employment, may transfer his/her accumulated sick leave from another Tennessee school system, provided that the director of schools of the system in which the accumulated leave was held provides notarized verification. |