NJ’s Sick Leave Policy Could Increase District Expenses: South Brunswick BOE

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – A few months ago, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new law that affords New Jersey public school employee to expand the reasons to use sick leave.

Whether school districts like it or not, employees can tap into those 10-days mandated state days even if they aren’t sick.

And for districts struggling under state funding cuts, like South Brunswick, this could prove to be an expense they can well do without.

During the last Board of Education meeting, Board members voted to adopt the sick leave police, although many of them were not enthusiastc about it.

“I'm absolutely helpless, being forced to vote. I just don't agree with this mandated policy that's been forced down our throat by Trenton,” BOE Vice President Smitha Raj said.

“It is only going to help increase over expenditure and it's absolutely uncalled for. Most importantly, it is taking away our ability to make decisions at the local level.”

The law which took effect immediately upon signing, expands an educator's sick days to include family health emergencies and other reasons.

Although the bill was welcomed by various teachers' unions, the New Jersey School Boards Association opposed it, as it could hurt student learning and inflate personnel costs for districts.

“Not only does this adversely affect the quality of instruction, it also costs taxpayers money. Districts cannot simply leave a classroom empty. To ensure that a district’s limited resources are used most efficiently, the utilization of substitutes should be minimized to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, with substitutes already in critically short supply, the cost associated with employing them has increased significantly in recent years, thus exacerbating the potential financial impact on taxpayers should this bill advance in its current form,” the NJSBA said.

Board president Lisa Rodgers said the policy was "snuck in" by Trenton prior to the summer recess. “We really did not have an opportunity for public comment,” Rodgers said. “Unfortunately, these things happen. But that doesn't mean we don't continue our efforts to speak out.”

Deepa Karthik said Board members were “astounded” by the policy and the wordings in it.

“I encourage everybody to please ready that policy and make your own conclusions,” Karthik said. "This (policy) takes away a lot of power from local school boards to make decisions for their communities; it takes away negotiating powers... We are mandated to accept it so we are going to do that, but we have grave concerns.”

Other organizations joining the NJSBA in opposition included the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials and the Garden State Coalition of Schools.

To read the new NJ policy, click here.

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