This bill mandates that school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools must provide leaves of absence to employees holding a coaching authorization for the purpose of attending professional development activities. Specifically, it requires that these employees be granted a leave of absence for at least two days each school year to participate in training programs or coaches conferences. During this leave, employees will not lose any benefits, including seniority, pay, vacation time, personal days, sick leave, insurance, health coverage, or earned overtime accumulation.

To implement this requirement, the bill amends existing laws by adding new paragraphs to sections 256E.7 and 256F.4, ensuring that these educational institutions comply with the leave provisions outlined in section 280.37. This new section explicitly details the obligations of school boards and authorities regarding the granting of leaves for professional training, thereby standardizing the process across various types of educational institutions in Iowa.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256E.7, 280.37