Welcome to Employment with the Lake County Educational Service Center
The Lake County Educational Service Center is committed to promoting leadership and providing quality services that support teaching and learning opportunities for Lake County school districts. The Lake County Educational Service Center will support the efforts of these districts to enhance student achievement.

We hope that you will find employment with the Lake County ESC to be personally and professionally rewarding.

Linda J. Williams, Ph.D.
Superintendent

General Philosophies and Policies
This handbook was developed in order to provide information to employees of the Lake County Educational Service Center (LCESC) concerning their employment. The provisions of this handbook are not to be deemed a provision or condition of your contract of employment. The Governing Board specifically reserves the right to modify or abrogate any provision in this handbook at any time and without any notice to its employees. This handbook is intended only for informational purposes and is not to be construed as imposing any obligation, contractual or otherwise, upon the Governing Board with respect to any subject it contains.

The Staff Handbook & Guidelines is designed as a guide to policies and procedures of the Lake County Educational Service Center and is assembled from the official Policy Manual of the LCESC and accompanying Administrative Guidelines. This handbook is intended for the general guidance of ESC employees and not as substitute for ever-changing school law or the Policy Manual.

All Policies contained in this document may not be inclusive of the entire policy officially adopted by the Governing Board of the LCESC. Employees should refer to the office Policy Manual for further explanations.

The Policy Manual is available in the office of the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of Early Childhood, Treasurer, Director-East Shore SERRC, Director, The Lake Academy, Director, Dr. James H. Porter Center for Science & Mathematics. The Policy Manual can also be viewed at http://www.neola.com/lakecountyesc-oh/.

The Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent is available to address any questions or concerns regarding policies of this handbook. It is the intent of the LCESC to produce this document on an annual basis.


ABSENCES

Sick Leave
Sick leave may be used for reasons stated in Governing Board Policy/Bylaws 3432/4432. When an employee of the Educational Service Center is not reporting to work for any reason other than a pre-approved absence such as vacation or emergency leave, the employee is required to report their absence according to the following procedures:

• 1. Call your director, supervisor, or building principal where you are assigned to report your absence and to discuss any work related matters that will be affected by your absence.
  
  If your director, supervisor or principal is not available, leave a message and then contact the appropriate secretary. It is important that you report your absence directly to your director or appropriate secretary rather than just leave a voice mail message.
  
  If you are not able to actually speak to your director, supervisor or the secretary, call the Executive Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent (440-350-2563. ext. 702) to report your absence.

• 2. Calls to notify the ESC or district of your absence should be placed before the start of your regularly scheduled work day. Call in each day that you are absent, if not on an approved leave.

• 3. Immediately upon return to work, it is your responsibility to complete and submit an Absence Request form to your director, supervisor or principal for his/her signature. These forms must then be sent to the Assistant Superintendent at the ESC.

• 4. In the event you are absent due to personal or family illness for three (3) or more consecutive days, a physician’s statement may be required stating the reason for the absence and/or authorization to return to work.

New employees may be credited with up to five (5) days sick leave in advance, which shall be part of the fifteen (15) days that can be accumulated for the year. Regular part-time employees shall be entitled to sick leave in proportion to the time actually worked.

Personal Leave
Up to three (3) full days of emergency leave may be used each contract year by full-time employees. Personal leave must be approved by the Superintendent or designee. Personal leave is not cumulative. Unused Personal leave will be converted to sick leave at the end of each year. (Governing Board Policy/Bylaws 3436/4436.)

Procedures to request such leave are as follows:

1. Submit an Absence Request Form to the Assistant Superintendent’s Office, Lake County Educational Service Center. The reason for the leave and the appropriate signatures must be complete. Make sure that your director, supervisor or building principal approves of your leave request and signs the leave form.
   
   
2. In cases of immediate emergencies, notify your director, supervisor or building principal and then call the Office of the Assistant Superintendent (440-350-2563, X 703) for verbal approval. The Absence Request form must be completed upon return to work.
   
   
3. Personal leave will not be granted immediately preceding or following a holiday break, to extend vacation periods, for other employment, or for recreational purposes without special permission from the Assistant Superintendent. 4.Upon return from personal leave, an Absence Request Form must be complete

C. Vacation
Employees who work twelve months may earn vacation. Vacation days are earned on a monthly basis accumulating up to the employee’s vacation entitlement based on position and length of service.

Vacation days may be taken as they are earned but they may not be taken in advance of being earned. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Superintendent.

Requests for vacation must be submitted in writing, using the Absence Request form, to your immediate supervisor. Requests for vacation leave for five (5) days or more must be submitted four (4) weeks in advance of the desired leave. Requests for vacation leave of less than five (5) days must be submitted as far in advance as possible. All vacation requests are subject to final approval by the Superintendent. (Governing Board Policy/Bylaws 3433/4433)

D. Family Leave
Under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) and Governing Board Policy/Bylaws 3430.01/4430.01, an employee working 1250 hours or more during any contract year that has been a full time employee for twelve months, may use up to twelve (12) work weeks of unpaid leave for one (1) of the following reasons:

1. The birth or care of a child.
2. The adoption or foster care of a child.
3. The care of a spouse, son, daughter, or parent if such individual has a serious health condition.
4. A serious health condition of the staff member, which disables him/her from performing the functions of his/her position.

An employee may request family leave to care for the child at the conclusion of the use of sick leave, for up to a total of 12 weeks (combined period of sick leave and family leave). Family leave is unpaid and must be approved, in advance, by the Governing Board.

The LCESC will notify you if your absence qualifies as an FMLA event. If you are aware of an upcoming leave, you must notify the LCESC 30 days prior to the leave.

Questions regarding FMLA should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent 440-350-2563, X703.

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