5231 Length Of Work Day
Policy: 5231
Section: 5000 - Personnel
Length of Work Day
Administrators
Administrators are Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exempt and do not have regularly set, pre-determined work hours. Administrators are expected to report to work during the established public hours of the site(s) to which the administrator is assigned and consistent with all district expectations and directives. Administrators are expected to work before and after established public hours of the assigned site(s) to accomplish job duties.
Certificated Staff
Regular building hours for teachers and other certificated, non-administrative staff will be one-half hour before school starts to one-half hour after school ends, unless otherwise negotiated, including a 30-minute duty-free lunch period. Individual schools may request a board waiver from these district-wide provisions consistent with applicable provisions of collective bargaining agreements. The starting and dismissal times for students, which may vary from school to school, will be determined by the district.
Fulfilling professional responsibilities will often require that teachers spend time outside of building hours. Such professional responsibilities include:
Preparing for instruction of classes planning lessons;
Consulting with students, grading assignments, completing paperwork;
Improving communication with parents, including but not limited to, initiating contact with parents after or before building hours;
Participating in curriculum development committees leading towards the improvement of the educational program;
Attending staff meetings, including attending necessary professional development, provided by the district, to improve and maintain teaching skills;
Supervising and directing co-curricular activities not specifically included in the district’s co- curricular program; and
Participating in such other activities that pertain to the district’s educational program.
Classified Staff
A classified hourly staff member will be paid at the rate of one and one-half times the salary schedule rate when he/she works for more than 40 hours during the regular work week or consistent with applicable provisions of collective bargaining agreements. The regular work day will include one 15 minute break for each four hours of work. A lunch period not to exceed one hour will be scheduled, but will not be counted for pay purposes. The district will be responsible for establishing the work day schedule for each classified staff member.
In the event a supervisor requests that a staff member work beyond the specified working hours and thus exceeds the 40 hours during the established work week, the district may grant, at the staff member’s request, compensating time off in lieu of overtime pay consistent with applicable provisions of collective bargaining agreements. A staff member may accumulate up to 240 hours of compensatory time. When the staff member reaches the 240-hour limit compensatory time will cease to accrue and the staff member must either take compensating time off or receive pay for such excess hours.
Custodial/maintenance and office staff will report for work when schools are closed for bad weather when required by the superintendent/designee.
Legal References:
29 U.S.C § 201 et seq. Fair Labor Standards Act
RCW 28A.405.140 Assistance for teacher may be required after evaluation
RCW 28A.405.466 Presence of certificated personnel at schools before and after school — Policy
RCW 49.46.120 Chapter establishes minimum standards and is supplementary to other laws — More favorable standards unaffected
RCW 49.46.130 Minimum rate of compensation for employment in excess of forty hour work week — Exceptions
WAC 296-128-550 Regular rate of pay
WAC 296-128-560 Compensating time off in lieu of overtime pay
Management Resources:
2015 - October Policy Issue
Policy News, June 2006 Certificated Staff Work Hours
2012 - August Issue
Adoption Date: 8.2023