Employee Handbook

Goodwill – The Excel Center Charter School1015 Norwood Park Blvd. ● Austin, Texas 78753 ● (512) 531-5500

Updated 08/2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................2DISCLAIMER.............................................................................................................6ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE..............................................................................7INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................8DISTRICT INFORMATION........................................................................................8

MISSION, VISION AND GOALS................................................................................................8CULTURE..............................................................................................................................9OPEN DOOR POLICY..............................................................................................................9BOARD OF DIRECTORS...........................................................................................................9CALENDARS & BELL SCHEDULES...........................................................................................9HELPFUL CONTACTS..............................................................................................................9

EMPLOYMENT........................................................................................................10EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.....................................................................................10AT WILL EMPLOYMENT........................................................................................................10PROTECTED RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES.....................................................................................10STARTING YOUR JOB............................................................................................................10

Accuracy of Information...............................................................................................10Employment Application & Other Forms.....................................................................10

CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECKS..........................................................................11NEW EMPLOYEES – REQUIRED TASKS...................................................................................12REPORTING TO WORK..........................................................................................................13

Official Office Hours.....................................................................................................13Campus Hours..............................................................................................................13Workload and Regular Work Schedules......................................................................13Attendance....................................................................................................................14

TIME RECORDS...................................................................................................................14Overtime.......................................................................................................................15Failure to Record Work Hours.....................................................................................15Changes to Time Detail................................................................................................15Noncompliance with Time Recording Policy & Procedure.........................................15

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS........................................................................................................15Employee Recognition & Appreciation........................................................................15Employee Involvement.................................................................................................16Employee Assistance Program – 512-681-3315...........................................................16

SEARCHES AND ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING.....................................................................16HEALTH SAFETY TRAINING..................................................................................................17JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS..........................................................................................17REASSIGNMENTS AND TRANSFERS.......................................................................................17PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS..............................................................................................17EMPLOYEE CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE....................................................................................18OUTSIDE EMPLOYEMENT & TUTORING.................................................................................19STAFF DEVELOPMENT, CONFERENCES, & TRAINING.............................................................19CERTIFICATION AND LICENSES.............................................................................................19

CHARTER SCHOOL BENEFITS & COMPENSATION..............................................20BENEFITS...........................................................................................................................20

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Eligibility.......................................................................................................................20Employee Purchase Discount.......................................................................................20

UNIVERSITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION..................................................................................21EMERGENCY LOAN PROGRAM...............................................................................................21WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE...............................................................................21WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS..................................................................................23TEACHER RETIREMENT........................................................................................................23EMPLOYMENT AFTER RETIREMENT.......................................................................................24

TRS Surcharge for Rehired Retirees...........................................................................24WITHDRAWAL OF TRS DEPOSITS..........................................................................................24OTHER RETIREMENT PLANS.................................................................................................24SAME SEX SPOUSES............................................................................................................24

WAGES AND EXPENSES.........................................................................................24CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES..........................................................................................25

Hours Worked...............................................................................................................25Non-Exempt v. Exempt Status.....................................................................................25

PAY PERIOD AND PAYDAY.....................................................................................................26DEDUCTIONS.......................................................................................................................26PAYROLL ADVANCES AND FINANCIAL LOANS.........................................................................27SUPPLEMENTAL DUTIES (STIPENDS)....................................................................................27EXTRA DUTY PAY.................................................................................................................27DIRECT DEPOSIT.................................................................................................................27MISTAKE IN PAYROLL OR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT...........................................................28UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION INSURANCE......................................................................28

LEAVE AND PAID TIME OFF..................................................................................28HOLIDAYS & BREAKS...........................................................................................................28REPORTING LEAVE..............................................................................................................29LEAVE INFORMATION...........................................................................................................29

New Employees – First 90 Days...................................................................................29Discretionary & Restricted Days..................................................................................29

LOCAL LEAVE......................................................................................................................30Eligibility for Local Personal Leave.............................................................................30Leave Day & Years of Service Calculation..................................................................30Use of Local Leave.......................................................................................................30Approval for Local Personal Leave..............................................................................31Accumulation of Local Leave.......................................................................................31

LEAVE GROUPS...................................................................................................................31Leave Group 1 – Generally includes Teachers/Coordinators/Life Coaches................31Leave Group 2 – Generally includes Team Leads........................................................31Leave Group 3 – Generally includes Office/Administrative Staff/District & Campus Leadership....................................................................................................................32Leave Group 4 – Generally includes Non-Exempt Staff..............................................32

STATE LEAVE......................................................................................................................32LOCAL LEAVE DONATIONS...................................................................................................33ANNIVERSARIES..................................................................................................................33LEAVE CARRY-OVER, PRORATION & BALANCES AFTER SEPARATION.......................................33EXTENDED LEAVE PROVISIONS.............................................................................................34

Temporary Disability Leave for Exempt Employees....................................................34Medical Certification....................................................................................................35Continuation of Health Insurance................................................................................35

FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA).............................................................................35MILITARY LEAVE OF ABSENCE.............................................................................................37OTHER TYPES OF LEAVE......................................................................................................38

Bereavement Leave......................................................................................................38Civic Leave (Jury Duty)/Court Appearance..................................................................38Assault Leave................................................................................................................38Workers’ Compensation Leave.....................................................................................39Optional Unpaid Leave of Absence..............................................................................39Concurrent Use of Leave..............................................................................................39

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS..................................................................................39EXPECTED EMPLOYEE CONDUCT..........................................................................................39TEXAS EDUCATORS’ CODE OF ETHICS..................................................................................40

Purpose & Scope..........................................................................................................40Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices & Performance............................................41Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues:......................................................41Ethical Conduct Toward Students:..............................................................................41

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT....................................................................42Non-Discrimination......................................................................................................42Anti-Harassment...........................................................................................................42Reporting Discrimination and/or Harassment.............................................................43Harassment of Students...............................................................................................44

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION...........................................................................................44CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.....................................................................................................45ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CHEATING ON STATE ASSESSMENTS..................................................45REPORTING CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT....................................................................................45REPORTING CRIME..............................................................................................................46WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS..............................................................................................46ALLOWABLE USES OF SCHOOL PROPERTY.............................................................................46COMPUTER & INTERNET USE..............................................................................................46

Technology: Acceptable Use Policy.............................................................................47Personal Use of Electronic Media................................................................................47Social Media.................................................................................................................48Audio and Video Recording..........................................................................................49Use of Electronic Communications & Media with Students.......................................49

STAFF/STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS – CURRENT & FORMER......................................................50PRIVACY..............................................................................................................................50ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS................................................................................................50EMPLOYEE DRESS CODE......................................................................................................51ALCOHOL AND DRUG-ABUSE PREVENTION............................................................................51

Drug-Free Workplace...................................................................................................51Tobacco Products and E-Cigarette Use.......................................................................52

NEPOTISM AND FRATERNIZATION.........................................................................................52FRAUD AND FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY...................................................................................53AUTHORITY TO BIND CONTRACTS.........................................................................................53CONFLICT OF INTEREST.......................................................................................................53GIFTS AND FAVORS.............................................................................................................53COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS...................................................................................................54INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS................................................................................................54ASSOCIATIONS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES............................................................................54CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS..............................................................................................55NURSING MOTHERS IN THE WORKPLACE..............................................................................55EMPLOYEE USE OF THE EXPLORATION CENTER....................................................................55

SAFETY....................................................................................................................55SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR........................................................................................................56FORMER EMPLOYEES...........................................................................................................56VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE............................................................................................56

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WEAPONS AND FIREARMS PROHIBITED.................................................................................56VISITORS IN THE WORKPLACE..............................................................................................57

SEPARATION FROM EMPLOYMENT......................................................................57RESIGNATIONS....................................................................................................................57TERMINATION.....................................................................................................................57COBRA NOTICE..................................................................................................................57EXIT INTERVIEWS AND PROCEDURES....................................................................................58EDUCATOR MISCONDUCT & INVESTIGATION.........................................................................58REPORTS TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY & STATE BOARD FOR EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION.......................................................................................................................................... 58REPORTS CONCERNING COURT-ORDERED WITHHOLDING......................................................59

GENERAL PROCEDURES........................................................................................59GET CONNECTED................................................................................................................59

Text Messages..............................................................................................................59Ultipro...........................................................................................................................59Social Media.................................................................................................................59

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & DONATIONS.....................................................................60EMERGENCY CLOSING AND DELAY.......................................................................................60

School Closure..............................................................................................................60Delayed Start Procedures for Non-Exempt Staff.........................................................60

EMERGENCIES.....................................................................................................................60RECORDS MANAGEMENT & RETENTION...............................................................................60ATTENDANCE & GRADE REPORTING.....................................................................................61SCHOOL FINANCE...............................................................................................................61

Purchasing....................................................................................................................61Travel Expenses & Other Reimbursements.................................................................62Meals & Incidentals Reimbursement...........................................................................62Calculations of Per Diem..............................................................................................62

UPDATED/CURRENT EMPLOYEE INFORMATION......................................................................63PUBLIC INFORMATION PERSONNEL RECORDS.......................................................................63BUILDING USE....................................................................................................................63DRIVING LIST & TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS..................................................................................64COMPLAINTS & GRIEVANCES...............................................................................................64

Campus Principal Review of Complaint.......................................................................64Superintendent Review of Complaint..........................................................................64Board of Directors Review of Complaint.....................................................................65Definition of “Business Day”........................................................................................65

STUDENT ISSUES...................................................................................................65EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.................................................................................65STUDENT RECORDS.............................................................................................................66PARENT & STUDENT COMPLAINTS.......................................................................................66ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION TO STUDENTS..................................................................66DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.......................................................................................................66PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS........................................................................................................67STUDENT CONDUCT & DISCIPLINE.......................................................................................67BULLYING...........................................................................................................................67

Report of Bullying.........................................................................................................67Investigation of Bullying..............................................................................................67

APPENDIX 1............................................................................................................68POLICIES & PROCEDURES....................................................................................................68STUDENT HANDBOOK AND CODE OF CONDUCT.....................................................................68

SCHOOL GUIDE...................................................................................................................68APPENDIX 2............................................................................................................69

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT........................................................................................69MEDIA USE.........................................................................................................................70

DISCLAIMER

This handbook does not create an employment contract. Employees are terminable at-will by the school. Similarly, employees may resign their positions without penalty. No individual board member or employee has the authority to alter any employee’s at-will status, or guarantee an employee’s employment for a specific period of time, unless it is approved by the board of directors, in writing, and signed by both the employee and the chair of the board of directors.

The Excel Center Charter School District reserves the right to amend or withdraw any or all provisions of the personnel handbook at any time with or without notice.

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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas is diverse organization made up of many parts all working together to Generate Lifelong Connections to Work. See below for a diagram of Goodwill's Organizational Structure:

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this handbook is to provide employees with a source of information about The Excel Center’s procedures and policies. The policies and procedures in this handbook are to serve as guidelines. Although The Excel Center has tried to be comprehensive, the handbook does not, and cannot,

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Good

will

Cen

tral

Tex

asWorkforce Advancement

Employee Counseling ServicesGED / Career Training / Case Management

Intake / Job Placeement / Disability Services

Mission Operations

Donated Goods - Retail / E-Commerce / E-books

Post Retail Operations- Outlet Store / Recycling / Donation Centers / Logistics

Business Solutions

Staffing GroupFacility & Community Based Contracts

Property Services & Contract Administration- Property Services / Facilities / Contract Admin

- Risk Management

Organizational Development Human Resources / Safety

Financial ServicesFinance / Accounting

IT / Performance Excellence

Community Engagement & Education

Marketing & Communications / DevelopmentDonation Acqusition / Grant Writing / Public Policy

Volunteer ManagementExcel Center / GCTA / Learning & Development

Executive Management Support

Adminstrative Support for Executive Team

include procedures and policies which address every situation that may arise. Such a list would be limitless. Suggestions for additions and improvements to this handbook are welcome and may be sent to the VP of Human Resources.

This employee handbook is intended for all employees and contractors of The Excel Center Charter District. The District is also part of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and also includes a summary of relevant portions of that employee handbook.

This handbook is neither a contract nor a substitute for official District policies and is does not alter the at will status of employees in any way. Rather, it is intended as a guide to explain District policies and procedures related to employment. The Excel Center has, and reserves, the right to adopt new procedures and policies, or modify, alter, change or cancel existing policies and procedures at any time. Violation of any board policy or a provision within this handbook may lead to disciplinary action up to and including discharge from employment. For more information, employees may refer to the policy codes that are associated with handbook topics, confer with their manager, or call the appropriate District office. District policies can be accessed on the server at J:\Charter Documents\Board Policies.

Questions regarding this handbook or any of the policies/procedures should be directed to your supervisor or the Human Resources Department.

DISTRICT INFORMATION

The Excel Center and The Excel Center for Adults is located in central Travis County in the city of Austin, Texas. Roughly 500 students attend the district’s 2 high schools. It is a unique charter high school that started in 2014 serving students age 17 to 50. The district has a diverse student population that is approximately 30% male, 79% female, 40% LEP with a wide variety of languages spoken such as, Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Russian, and Swahili. Many of our students are overcoming significant life challenges as 54% are parents and 17% have a criminal history.

Mission, Vision and Goals

Mission Statement – Generating Lifelong Connections to Work

Vision – Empowering 100,000 central Texans to transform their lives through work and education.

Values – Do Good! Be Great!

Make the difference Own it Spirit of service Work hard, play hard

Culture

The District and Goodwill Industries of Central Texas embrace an important concept called “servant leadership”. Through this approach, the leaders of our organization are actually at the bottom of an inverted organizational chart. It is their primary duty to serve, coach, and enable employees to succeed.

The District maintains a positive and open work environment, distinguished by our inclusive environment. We embody our value system in our day-to-day actions to fully support these principles. Every person at the District contributes to our mission of generating lifelong connections to work. If you have any questions about how you support our efforts through your position, please speak with your manager to learn more.

Open Door Policy

The Excel Center has adopted an Open Door Policy for all employees. The purpose of our Open Door Policy is to encourage open communication, feedback, and discussion about any matter of importance to an employee. Our Open Door Policy means that employees are encouraged to bring any workplace concerns or problems they might have or know about to their supervisor or some other school administrator.

The Excel Center values each employee and strives to provide a positive work experience. By listening to you, The Excel Center is able to improve, to address complaints, and to foster employee understanding of the rationale for practices, processes, and decisions. The Open Door Policy is not a substitute for a formal complaint. If an employee has a formal complaint or grievance, the employee should timely pursue it in accordance with the Complaints and Grievance Sections of this Handbook.

Board of Directors

Texas law grants the Board the power to govern and oversee the management of the District’s schools. The Board is the policy-making body within the District and has overall responsibility for the curriculum, school taxes, annual budget, employment of the Superintendent and other professional staff, and facilities. The Board has complete and final control over school matters within the limits established by state and federal law and regulations. A listing of current board members can be found on the website: https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/excel-center/full-governing-board

Calendars & Bell Schedules

The approved school calendars and bell schedules are published annually and can be found on the District web site: https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/excel-center

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Helpful Contacts

From time to time, employees have questions or concerns. If those questions or concerns cannot be answered by managers or at the campus or department level, the employee is encouraged to contact the appropriate department as listed below.

Human Resources & Employee Benefits – 512-637-7585 Finance, Payroll and Leave of Absence – 512-637-7559 Academic Operations – 512-531-5501 District Operations – 512-531-5515

EMPLOYMENT

Equal Employment Opportunity

The District does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, military status, genetic information, or on any other basis prohibited by law. Additionally, the District does not discriminate against an employee or applicant who acts to oppose such discrimination or participates in the investigation of a complaint related to a discriminatory employment practice. Employment decisions will be made on the basis of each applicant’s job qualifications, experience, and abilities. Employees with questions or concerns about discrimination should contact the Human Resources Department.

At Will Employment

All employees of the District are at-will employees and are not under contract. Employment is not for any specified term and may be terminated at any time by either the employee or the District.

Protected Rights of Employees

Nothing in this handbook shall be construed as an infringement, limitation, restriction on or otherwise interfering with the protected rights of employees under applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulations.

Starting Your Job

Accuracy of Information

The Excel Center relies upon the accuracy of information contained in the employment application, as well as the accuracy of other information

presented throughout the hiring process and employment. Employees are expected to provide truthful and accurate information in connection with their employment at The Excel Center. Any falsification or misrepresentation in connection with application materials, or during the course of employment, is a serious offense and may lead to discharge from employment or non-selection of an applicant.

Employment Application & Other Forms

New employees are asked to review and/or complete the following forms: Employment Application and Pre-Employment Affidavit Affidavit of Applicant Offered Employment W-4 Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate I-9 Employment Eligibility Form Signed Employment Offer Letter (new employees)/Annual Employment

Letters (current employees) Employee Election Form to Withhold Certain Information from Public

Access Acknowledgement of Receipt of Employee Handbook Authorization for Direct Deposit Applicable Healthcare/Benefits Forms Notice Regarding Workers Compensation Benefits Excel Center Credential Submission Acknowledgment

Current employees may be required to update or execute any of the above forms. Any employee who fails or refuses to complete the above forms or to provide The Excel Center with requested documentation in a timely manner may be subject to the loss of employment benefits, the delay of employment benefits, disciplinary action, or withdrawal of the employment offer.

Criminal History Background Checks

In compliance with state law, all employees, substitutes, and contractors hired must complete the fingerprinting process with the SBEC/Texas DPS Clearinghouse prior to employment. National criminal history checks based on an individual’s fingerprints, photo, and other identification will be conducted on all employees and entered into the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Clearinghouse. This database provides the District and SBEC with access to an employee’s current national criminal history and updates to the employee’s subsequent criminal history. The District conducts a pre-employment screening for all candidates that are offered employment. Candidate offers are contingent upon successful pre-employment screening, which may include: a criminal background check, verification of past employment, reference checks, verification of education & certification (if applicable), a motor vehicle report, and a drug test.

Potential contractors will complete a Vendor Packet prior to contracting with the

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District. This packet includes:

W-9 Form Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Felony Conviction Form Certification of Insurance Certification of Criminal History Record Information

Once the Vendor Packet has been completed and approved by District and Goodwill personnel a contractor agreement will be drafted.

A conviction does not automatically bar the applicant from employment. It is the policy of the District to review each applicant’s history on an individual basis. Any candidate or contractor who has a history of an offense that falls under Title 5 of Texas Penal Code may not be employed or contracted with the District. Candidates or contractors who have a history of offenses that fall outside of Title 5 of Texas Penal Code will be reviewed on an individual basis by a Human Resources Committee. The committee will conduct a targeted screening process for all new employee background reports. This process will take into account the following factors in determining whether an applicant’s criminal background warrants the withdrawal of a contingent offer of employment:

The nature and gravity of the offense or conduct; The time that has passed since the offense, conduct, and/or completion of the

sentence; and The nature of the position held or sought.

An individualized assessment is conducted for each candidate with a conviction to determine where there is a justifiable reason to disqualify based on the conviction. Additionally, arrest records without convictions will not be considered in the review process. For this reason, we ask our background check vendor not to report arrest information that did not result in convictions. If this information is inadvertently provided by our vendor, it is disregarded. The Committee documents the review and makes a determination if the candidate or contractor may be employed or contracted with the District. Documentation of the review is retained in the candidate’s file.

New Employees – Required Tasks

An offer of employment is contingent upon:

Accuracy of the information in employment application/resume Verification of references Satisfactory completion of a background check and fingerprinting

Upon an offer of employment there are a number of tasks that must be completed to successfully begin employment with the District. The tasks are listed below:

1. Review and Accept/Reject Offer of Employment2. Complete background check and fingerprinting3. Attend new hire orientation prior to the first day on the job. New Hire

Orientation will include the following areas:a. A review of Goodwill’s Employee Handbookb. Receipt of Employee ID badge and lanyardc. Bring copies of proper identification as detailed in the List of

Acceptable Documents on the Form I-9. d. Voided check or direct deposit form

4. Submit copies of the following to the Director of Operations & the Human Resources Dept.

a. Official copy of transcriptb. Service Record Verification formc. Official copy of service records from previous schools or state

employment – this is required for TRSd. Copy of certification or licensee. Conflict of Interest Statementf. Confidentiality Agreementg. Receipt of Employee Handbook

5. Complete new employee traininga. Receipt of credentials necessary for parking, access to the school

building and computers, and other materials as appropriate for the employee’s position

b. Tour of facilitiesc. The Excel Center Employee Handbook Reviewd. Real Goodwill Toure. At-Risk & Suicide Trainingf. Prevention techniques for, and recognition, or sexual abuse and other

maltreatment of childreng. CPR/First Aidh. Special Programs 101i. Confidentiality Trainingj. Skyward 101k. On-the-job training

Reporting to Work

Official Office Hours

During the school year, standard hours of operation in the reception and administrative office areas are from 7:30 AM until 4:00 PM.

During the summer break, standard hours of operation in the reception and administrative offices areas are from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM – Monday through

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Friday. The front door will be closed on Friday’s during the summer break.

Campus Hours

Campus Day Students Night Students

Norwood

8:00 AM to 3:20 PM – Monday through Friday

4:30 PM to 9:30 PM – Monday through Thursday

Lockhart 10:15 AM to 5:15 PM – Monday through Friday

Workload and Regular Work Schedules

The Excel Center has a standard workweek of forty (40) hours per week. Scheduled hours for employees may vary from department to department and according to position.

All full-time, non-exempt employees generally work a Monday through Friday schedule of forty (40) hours divided into five (5) eight-hour workdays unless a different schedule is approved in writing by the employee’s supervisor. Non-exempt employees must have prior written approval before working overtime. Variations to work schedules may be determined by the employee’s supervisor. Instructional staff are expected to be present at least 30 minutes prior to their first scheduled class of the day. Notice of work schedules, including start and end dates, start and end times, and scheduled in-services will be distributed at the beginning of each school year within the Employee’s Annual Employment Letter.

Exempt employees are expected to work the hours necessary to complete their assigned work to the satisfaction of their supervisor without regard to scheduled hours and without expectation of additional compensation. All employees are expected to be at work during their scheduled office hours unless otherwise required or approved by the employee’s supervisor.

Classroom teachers have planning periods for instructional preparation including conferences. The schedule of planning periods is set at the campus level, but will aim to provide at least 450 minutes within each two-week period in blocks not less than 45 minutes within the instructional day. The Excel Center aims to provide all employees a duty-free lunch period of 30 minutes. The Excel Center may require teachers to supervise students during lunch one day a week when no other personnel are available.

Attendance

The Excel Center employees are expected to be reliable and punctual in reporting for work each scheduled day. If an employee will be late for work or is unable to work as scheduled, the employee should notify their supervisor immediately via phone call. Text messages may be sent if the Supervisor has approved that as a means to communicate.

Employees whose positions have been authorized to have a substitute are also required to submit a substitute request via Skyward so that a replacement can be found. Administrators who are absent from work must report their absences via Skyward. Employees eligible for overtime are required to indicate when a lunch break is taken and when they resume work.

The Excel Center recognizes there will be occasions when an illness or other personal event may result in an unscheduled absence. As such, The Excel Center has a leave policy. It is the charter school’s expectation that each employee attends work every day unless approved paid or unpaid leave is granted pursuant to the charter school’s leave policy.

Poor attendance and/or repeated tardiness are disruptive to the operations of The Excel Center and may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge from employment. Failure to attend work for up to three days in a row without notice to the charter school will constitute job abandonment and The Excel Center shall treat such job abandonment as a voluntary resignation from employment without notice.

Time Records

All Excel employees must record actual hours worked. Failure to accurately report time worked or otherwise comply with this policy will result in discipline up to and including termination.

All employees are required to follow The Excel Center’s electronic Timekeeping Procedures. Supervisors, who may or may not be exempt employees, have obligations regarding nonexempt employees’ time records. Therefore, it is very important for both nonexempt employees and exempt managerial staff to be knowledgeable about the requirements for accurate time records under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Time detail is based on District time and attendance records. Each employee is responsible for completing any necessary forms for time corrections and/or absences, and managers are required to review and approve employee time records.

Below is a list of rules which apply to recording time worked:

All employees must track time on a daily basis

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Hourly employees must clock in and out when they leave work for any personal reasons, including meal periods

Employees may not log hours for anyone else nor ask another employee to log hours for them, although a manager, with the consent of another manger, may do so for their employee; Altering, falsify, tampering with time records or logging hours for another employee will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment

Employees should not remain on the premises if he/she is not scheduled to work

Employees should check their time at the end of the pay period to ensure that the hours shown are accurate

Overtime

Overtime worked by non-exempt employees must submit the pre-authorization form with and work no more than the approved hours

Failure to Record Work Hours

As stated, all employees must record actual hours worked. If a supervisor asks a non-exempt employee to work “off the clock” or otherwise instructs him or her not to record work hours, the employee must report this incident to the Payroll Department. Failure, by an employee to comply with these reporting requirements may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. The Excel Center prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, reports incidents under this policy.

Changes to Time Detail

Any disagreements with the official time detail record should be reviewed promptly with the employee’s supervisor, who must authorize any changes to the timekeeping record. All bi-weekly and monthly absences (scheduled and unscheduled) must be documented on the “Authorization to change The Excel Center Charter District Time Detail Record” form. Copies of all approved forms must be sent immediately to the Campus/Department Timekeeper Manager for entry into the system.

Noncompliance with Time Recording Policy & Procedure

Noncompliance with the above guidelines risks loss of program income, creates unnecessary work for others, and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Employee Relations

Employee Recognition & Appreciation

Continuous efforts are made throughout the year to recognize employees who make an extra effort to contribute to the success of the District. Employees are recognized at Board meetings, in the District newsletter, on the District Website and through special events and activities.

The District is part of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and follows the four Values:

Make the Difference Own It Spirit of Service Work Hard, Play Hard

Employees who exemplify these values will be recognized throughout the year: Values chart Recognition wall Ultimate Goodwillian Leveling Guide

o Goodwillian Certificate & Name on Recognition Wallo Star of Goodwillo One day only – 50% discount in Goodwill storeso Leadership luncho Values t-shirt

Employee Involvement

At both the campus and District levels, the District offers opportunities for input in matters that affect employees and influence the instructional effectiveness of the District. As part of the District’s planning and decision-making process, employees may serve on District and/or campus level committees.

Employee Assistance Program – 512-681-3315

The Goodwill Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to all Excel Center employees and members of their household. The EAP provides services in a confidential environment for personal matters, including personal financial management, marriage and parenting counseling, family concerns, domestic violence, grief, depression, divorce, anxiety, stress management, trauma, substance abuse and more. EAP can also assist you in locating child care, elder care, and financial assistance. All assistance is confidential and is strictly between you and your EA counselor. Call the EAP Intake Specialist at 512-681-3315 and ask for EAP to schedule an appointment during personal time.

When personal matters impact work performance, managers may refer an employee to the EAP to help the employee resolve the underlying cause of work issues. Managers will continue to monitor the employee’s performance to

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ensure the work-related behaviors improve. Managers will not be advised regarding any activity the employee has or has not taken with regard to EAP benefits.

Due to confidentiality protections, the EAP is not an appropriate avenue for reporting work-related concerns. Knowledge of employee concerns, issues, workplace issues, safety issues, or other information disclosed to AEP shall not be imputed, to known to, any employee, manager, manager, or executive of Goodwill or the District.

Searches and Alcohol and Drug Testing

Employees do not have an expectation of privacy in any work areas such as, but not limited to, classrooms, offices, desks, file cabinets, computers or cell phones owned or leased by The Excel Center. Work areas and The Excel Center property are subject to search at any time. Any of the following may be monitored if they occur during business hours, at school activities, and/or on school property: phone calls, voice-mail, e-mail (work and personal), cameras, computers, and internet activity. Furthermore, employees do not have an expectation of privacy in school issued phones or private phones used for work purposed. Also, employees have no expectation of privacy with respect to their text messages or emails pertaining to school business. Consequently, all school-related records or student-related records, including text messages and emails, must be kept in accordance with The Excel Center’s records retention policy. The Superintendent or designee also reserves the right to require any employee, regardless of position or whether the employee drives a District vehicle, to submit to drug or alcohol testing if a reasonable suspicion exists that the employee has used or is under the influence of a controlled substance or a dangerous drug as defined by law, alcohol, or any other drug affecting the employee’s ability to physically or mentally attend to the duties and responsibilities of his or her position.An employee shall not report for duty or remain on duty after having a positive test for alcohol or controlled substances. An employee who has a positive test shall be removed from regularly assigned duties until an employment decision is made. If the employee is permitted to return to work, the employee is subject to return-to-duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing. The employee shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination in accordance with Board policy.

Health Safety Training

Certain employees who are involved in physical activities for students and the care of children in The Exploration Center must maintain and submit to the District proof of current certification or training in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), concussion, and extracurricular athletic activity safety. Employees subject to this requirement must submit their certification or documentation to the employee’s manager at the beginning of each school year. For further

information and clarification, contact your manager.

Job Vacancy Announcements

Announcements of job vacancies by position and location are posted on a regular basis on the District’s web site. The link is: https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/education-job-training/jobs-at-goodwill-central-texas

Reassignments and Transfers

All personnel are subject to assignment and reassignment by the Superintendent or designee when the Superintendent or designee determines that the assignment or reassignment is in the best interest of the District. Reassignment is a transfer to another position, department, or facility that does not necessitate a change in the employment contract. Campus reassignments must be approved by the Campus Administrator at the receiving campus except when reassignments are due to enrollment shifts or program changes. Extracurricular or supplemental duty assignments may be reassigned at any time unless an extracurricular or supplemental duty assignment is part of a dual-assignment contract. Employees who object to a reassignment may follow the District process for employee complaints as outlined in this handbook and District policy.

Any teacher with the required qualifications for a position may request a transfer to another campus or department. An electronic request for transfer must be completed by the teacher and submitted to Human Resource Services. A teacher requesting a transfer to another campus before the school year begins must submit their request by the date posted by Human Resource Services each year. Requests for transfer during the school year will be considered only when the change will not adversely affect students and after a replacement has been found. All transfer requests will be coordinated by Human Resource Services and must be approved by the receiving manager.

Performance Evaluations

District and campus employees are evaluated on an ongoing basis to provide feedback of both a positive and corrective nature for such purposes as reinforcing excellent behavior, discussing and correcting less than standard performance, determining training needs and assessing the effectiveness of training, and addressing any job performance issues, including employee attendance, of concerns to the manager and/or the employee. Direct teaching staff will be given a teacher appraisal. Other school staff will be given an evaluation according to Excel guidelines.

All performance reviews or any tools used to evaluate teachers, administrators, (whether certified or uncertified), non-direct teaching staff, and operations personnel, will remain confidential. Furthermore, it is the policy of Excel, to release, only after written permission has been received by the employee or

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former employee, the evaluation document to a district or charter school at which a teacher or administrator has applied for employment.

An increase in pay is not guaranteed as any part of the performance evaluation process.

Evaluation of an employee’s job performance is a continuous process that focuses on improvement. Performance evaluation is based on an employee’s assigned job duties and other job-related criteria. All employees will participate in the evaluation process with their assigned manager at least annually. Written evaluations will be completed on forms approved by the District. Reports, correspondence, and memoranda also can be used to document performance information. All employees will complete a self-evaluation, receive a copy of their written evaluation, participate in a performance conference with their manager, and have the opportunity to respond to the evaluation.

Employee Corrective Discipline

In order to correct employee misconduct at the earliest stage possible, The Excel Center administration may implement a stair-step disciplinary procedure. Such procedure may begin first with a verbal warning. The next offense would proceed to a written warning; the next step is suspension; followed by termination of employment.

Though The Excel Center may utilize such stair-step disciplinary procedures, The Excel Center reserves the right to skip any or all steps and immediately discharge the employee.

The stair-step disciplinary procedure does not forfeit the at-will status of its employees and The Excel Center preserves the at-will nature of the employment relationship. Accordingly, discharge may be initiated by The Excel Center at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.

While it is impossible to list every type of behavior that may be deemed a serious offense, the following are examples of unsatisfactory conduct that will trigger corrective discipline and, depending on the severity or frequency of the offense, may result in suspension or termination of employment:

Excessive tardiness or absences Falsification or tampering with records (including timekeeping records) Working under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs Fighting or threatening violence in the workplace Dishonesty or theft Insubordination or other disrespectful conduct Violation of safety or health rules Sexual or other unlawful or unwelcome harassment Cheating on state student assessments Unauthorized absence from work station during the workday

Unsatisfactory performance or conduct Committing a crime or engaging in other conduct which could damage the

image or reputation of the school or Goodwill Industries of Central Texas Damaging school equipment or property through negligence, carelessness, or

incompetence

Outside Employement & Tutoring

Full-time employees of The Excel Center are expected to work solely for The Excel Center. Any outside employment, whether self-employment or working for another employer, should be immediately disclosed in writing to and approved by the campus administrator. In certain circumstances, such outside employment may be permitted by The Excel Center, however, The Excel Center retains the right to review and evaluate each situation on an individual basis.

No employee of The Excel Center t is permitted to use his or her position in promoting, soliciting, or selling any project, goods, or services within the boundaries of The Excel Center unless the patron invites said solicitation with full knowledge of the type of sales work in which the employee is engaged. Employees are not permitted to provide job-related services to their own students for pay except during the summer months or by assignment by the administration. An employee shall disclose in writing to his or her immediate manager any private tutoring of District students for pay.

Staff Development, Conferences, & Training

To support a lifelong connection to work, employees are encouraged to attend professional development activities directly related to their job duties. Additionally, all staff complete District required training upon hire, annually, and as part of Individual/Team/Camus/District Improvement Plans. Additional staff development activities are organized to meet the needs of employees and the District throughout the year. Staff development for instructional personnel is predominantly campus-based, related to achieving campus performance objectives, addressed in the campus improvement plan, and approved by a campus-level advisory committee. Staff development for non-instructional personnel is designed to meet specific licensing requirements or procedural tasks and continued employee skill development.

Individuals holding renewable SBEC certificates are responsible for obtaining the required training hours and maintaining appropriate documentation.

Expenses will be paid according to budgetary allotments. Advance permission must be requested and approved by a school Administrator. Teachers will meet with an Administrator to go over an annual professional development plan to ensure that teachers are working toward enhancing skills over the course of the school year. All District employees should meet with their manager to review professional goals and discuss a plan for developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies to achieve those goals.

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Certification and Licenses

Employees whose positions require SBEC certification or professional license are responsible for taking actions to ensure their credentials do not lapse. Employees must submit documentation that they have passed the required certification exam and/or obtained or renewed their credentials to the Human Resource Services Department in a timely manner.

CHARTER SCHOOL BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

Benefits

Eligibility

The following chart describes the benefits for full-time and part-time employees. Employees are eligible to receive benefits beginning on the first of the month following 60 days of employment. Contracted employees are not eligible for benefits.

Benefit Full-time Part-time

Medical X N/A

Dental X N/A

Vision X N/A

Life Insurance X X

Short-term/Long-term Disability

X N/A

Flexible Spending Account X N/A

Other benefits and eligibility requirements are listed below:

Benefit Full-time Part-time Eligibility

Teacher Retirement (TRS)

X X Contribute immediately

Paid Time Off / Leave / Holiday / Break Pay

Accrue and use immediately – Based on assigned Leave Group

Bereavement Leave X N/A Immediate

Employee Purchase Discount

X X Immediate

Goodwill Emergency Loan & Employee Payroll Deduction Program

X X 90 days

Employee Purchase Discount

Goodwill offers a variety of merchandise for sale. Some merchandise, such as New Goods, may have sufficient quantity of like items that employees may purchase these items at any time. Other merchandise includes one-of-a-kind items and it is important that members of the community are offered a wide selection of quality merchandise to generate revenues to fund our mission. Family members are not eligible for the discount. Employees of the District are eligible for the following discount:

Type of Merchandise

Purchase Restrictions Discount Eligibility

Donated Goods 1. Merchandise must be stickered/pin-tagged with a color other than the current week color if shopping in the store of employment.

2. Employees may purchase merchandise from other stores without restriction.

3. Management must complete the transaction for any employee.

25% Discount

Employees shopping at a Goodwill store will be subject to the following rules:

Employees must show their badge when completing a purchase. Employees must not be in uniform while shopping – including your employee

badge. All employee purchases must be completed after work hours and when the

employee is off the clock. Employees may not stash or otherwise hold back merchandise in which they

are interested. All goods must be processed and presented for sale in a timely manner.

University Federal Credit Union

Goodwill offers all employees a membership opportunity at University Federal Credit Union (UFCU). Under the UFCU philosophy, “once a member, always a member”, this is a benefit that survives your career with Goodwill. In addition to

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the direct deposit of your pay, UFCU also provides personal financial services to their members, including savings accounts, money market accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRA), checking accounts, pulse ATM card, telephone banking, fast cash credit loans, mortgage loans, car loans, home improvement loans, education loans, credit cards, direct deposit, special checks, safe deposit boxes, free notary public service, international service, and U.S. savings bonds.

Emergency Loan Program

Goodwill employees in good standing may apply for assistance from the Emergency Loan Program after 90 days of employment. The Emergency Loan Program offers employees a resource for emergency funds without the high interest rates and fees associated with Payday Loans or Title Loans. Applications for Emergency Loans will be evaluated for need and ability to pay; loans are not guaranteed. Contact the EAP for information.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Employees of the District are covered by workers’ compensation insurance should they sustain an injury that arises out of and in the course and scope of employment for which compensation is payable under the applicable sections of the Texas Labor Code, Division of Workers’ Compensation Rules and case law.

Injuries may not be compensable, that is you may not be able to collect benefits if:

The injury occurred while the employee was intoxicated or under the influence of an illicit substance.

The injury was an intentional effort to cause harm to self or others. Injury was caused by another for personal reasons. Injury occurred during voluntary off-work activity Injury was an act of God. Injury occurred during horseplay.

Report all on the job injuries to your onsite manager immediately to ensure you receive proper medical treatment. Failure to report the injury to your onsite manager and/or complete the appropriate report within 24 hours jeopardizes your right to benefits in connection with the injury.

Properly completing reports, accurately and in a timely manner, allows the District to investigate the cause of the injury and identify and remove potential hazards, preventing injury to other employees or students, as well as accurately report Safety reports according to Federal reporting requirements. It is not possible for an employee to be informed of each circumstance when benefits would be awarded since each case is determined based on the facts of the case.

Employees injured on the job must immediately report the injury or accident to their manager even if they do not seek medical treatment.

The employee has some responsibilities including, but not limited to, the following:

Inform the manager of the injury, or have a co-worker inform him/her Seek medical treatment, if necessary Ensure the manager receives a copy of the medical statement Keep manager informed of status of the injury

When returning to work, the employee must have a return-to-duty release from his/her doctor and must provide this release to the manager. The manager will review the medical release with the Human Resources Department to determine if the return is permitted. The employee will not be allowed to return to work until such clearance is approved.

If you must miss work as a result of a work place injury, your leave time will be used during a lost-time accident, and will continue until your leave time is exhausted, you have returned to work, or Workers Compensation payment occurs. Failure to follow this procedure may result in disciplinary action.

Employees who are out during a period of recovery for Worker’s Compensation must adhere to policies for communicating with their manager or management.

The District has adopted a “Return to Work Program” which specifies the terms and conditions under which an employee may return to limited duty due to physical limitations. The Human Resources Department administers this program and coordinates offers of Return to Work with the appropriate hiring authority.

If an injured employee is out for more than nine calendar days due to the injury, the employee must contact the Payroll/Benefits Department regarding Leave of Absence options.

Employees who have questions concerning their rights or responsibilities under Workers’ Compensation should contact the Human Resources Department. Employees who are unable to work because of a work-related injury will be notified of their rights and responsibilities under Texas Labor Code. See Workers’ Compensation Benefits below for information on use of paid leave for such absences.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits

An employee absent from duty because of a job-related illness or injury may be eligible for workers’ compensation weekly income benefits if the absence exceeds seven calendar days.

An employee receiving workers’ compensation wage benefits for a job-related illness or injury may choose to use accumulated sick leave or any other paid leave benefits. An employee choosing to use paid leave will not receive workers’

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compensation weekly income benefits until all paid leave is exhausted or to the extent that paid leave does not equal the pre-illness or -injury wage. If the use of paid leave is not elected, then the employee will only receive workers’ compensation wage benefits for any absence resulting from a work-related illness or injury, which may not equal his or her pre-illness or pre-injury wage.

Teacher Retirement

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) administers a pension trust fund that has been serving the needs of Texas public education employees for over 75 years. A charter school is eligible for membership in TRS when the employee has:

Regular employment with a single public, state-supported education institution in Texas that is expected to last for a period of 4 ½ months or more,

For one-half or more of the full-time workload, and With compensation paid at a rate comparable to the rate of compensation

for other persons employed in similar positions. An employee of a public, state-supported educational institution in Texas is considered to meet these requirements if the employee’s customary employment is for 20 hours or more each week at a single employer and for 4 ½ months or more in one school year.

There is no waiting period. Substitutes that are not receiving TRS service retirement benefits who work at least 90 days a year are also eligible for TRS membership and to purchase a year of creditable service. TRS provides members with an annual statement of their account showing all deposits and the total account balance for the year ending August 31, as well as an estimate of their retirement benefits. Employees should refer retirement questions to TRS. TRS eligibility is established by state law and regulation. Employees who plan to retire under TRS should notify TRS as soon as possible.

An employee is no longer eligible to receive retirement annuity from TRS if the person is convicted of a qualifying felony against a student. A qualifying felony includes the continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children, an improper relationship between an educator and student, sexual assault, or aggravated sexual assault.

Inquiries should be addressed to:

Teacher Retirement System of Texas 1000 Red River Street Austin, Texas 78701-2698 Phone (Toll-Free): 800.223.8778 Phone: 512.397.6400

TRS information, including forms, is also available on the Web at www.trs.state.tx.us .

Employment after Retirement

Detailed information about employment after retirement is available in the TRS publication Employment after Retirement. Employees may contact TRS for additional information by calling 800-223-8778 or 512-542-6400. Information is also available on the TRS Web site (www.trs.state.tx.us ).TRS Surcharge for Rehired Retirees

All public education employers are required to make monthly surcharge payments to the Texas Teacher Retirement Pension Fund and TRS-Care for TRS retirees returning to work who have a retirement date on or after September 1, 2005. The Pension Fund surcharge is based on the retiree’s total monthly pay, including stipends and extra duty payments. The Pension Fund surcharge is currently 13.2% of total monthly pay. The TRS-Care surcharge is required for any retiree who is enrolled in TRS-Care and is based on TRS-Care enrollment elections. The District will reduce the retiree’s pay to offset the additional expenses that the district must pay to rehire a TRS retiree, provided that the retiree’s salary does not fall below the state minimum salary, if applicable, or the federal minimum wage. Retirees will also be required to pay the state contribution for TRS-Care if they participate in this plan.

Withdrawal of TRS Deposits

Employees who have terminated and wish to withdraw their Texas Retirement System ("TRS") deposits may contact the HR Department for the TRS form 6, "Notice of Final Deposit and Request for Refund." This form is also available on the TRS website www.trs.state.tx.us/ under Employee forms. This form must be completed by the former employee, signed, and notarized and then sent to the Payroll Department. Payroll will send the completed form to the TRS in Austin and the former employee should receive the refund check within 120 days.

Other Retirement Plans

At this time, The Excel Center does not offer any other retirement plans. School employees are not eligible to participate in the Goodwill 401(3)(b) retirement plan.

Same Sex Spouses

In compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) and the final judgment rendered by the Texas courts in Pidgeon v. Turner (2017), The Excel Center extends spousal benefits, where applicable, to same-sex spouses.

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WAGES AND EXPENSES

Employees are paid in accordance with administrative guidelines and an established pay structure. Upon hire, each Excel Center employee will be offered a salary or hourly rate. This will be annualized and paid out over 12 months. This ensures that employees who receive a summer break continue to receive their salary and benefits during the summer months. Employees will receive a letter at the beginning of each school year outlining their position, salary or hourly rate, and number of duty days. Employees may view their salary, leave, and benefit information online at via Skyward.

Classification of Employees

Hours Worked

Full-Time Employees – Full-time employees are employed at least 40 hours per week. Full-time employees are eligible for the employee benefits set forth in this handbook.

Part-Time Employees – Part-time employees work less than 40 hours per week. Part-time employees are regularly scheduled to work during the work week at a fixed part-time schedule. Part-time employees ordinarily are not eligible for the employee benefits set forth in this Handbook, but a part-time employee could qualify for TRS Retirement benefits depending on the employee’s tenure and the number of hours worked by the employee.

Temporary Employees – Temporary employees are hired as interim replaces to temporarily supplement the workforce, such as substitute teachers, or to assist in the completion of a specific project. Employment assignments in this category are of a limited duration.

Non-Exempt v. Exempt Status

The Excel Center assigns positions, determines wages, and compensates employees for overtime in accordance with state laws, local laws, and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The workweek for each employee is set in accordance with this Handbook.

Exempt v. Non-Exempt Designation – Each employment position is designated as either non-exempt or exempt as required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Exempt Positions – Exempt employees are expected to work the hours necessary to complete their assigned work to the satisfaction of their supervisor without regard to scheduled hours and without expectation of additional compensation. Exempt employees are not entitled to overtime compensation. Generally, teaching and administrative positions are designated as exempt positions.

o Teaching positions are classified as exempt positions if:

The primary duty is teaching, tutoring, instructing, or lecturing in the activity of imparting knowledge; and

They are employed and engaged in this activity as a teacher in an educational establishment.

o Administrative positions are classified as exempt positions if: The position is compensated on a salary basis at a rate of

$455 or more per week; and The primary duty is performance of office or non-manual work

directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers; and

The primary duty includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.

Non-Exempt Positions – Non-exempt positions are entitled to minimum wages and overtime pay. Overtime payment is pay at a rate of at least one and one-half times an employee’s “regular rate of pay” for any hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. Generally, paraprofessionals are classified as non-exempt employees. A non-exempt employee is never permitted to work “off the clock”. This includes sending text messages or emails after the employee’s scheduled work hours unless in response to a supervisor’s directive or supervisor’s designee. While all hours worked will be compensated appropriately, an employee’s failure to report hours accurately whether too low or too high is cause for disciplinary action. Employees should immediately report to Human Resources any effort by a supervisor to participate, encourage, or even permit an employee to work “off the clock” in violation of this overtime provision.

All employees must review and approve their timesheets at the end of each workweek. Direct supervisors must review and approve their employees’ timesheets at the end of each workweek.

Pay Period and Payday

The Excel Center pays its employees on a bi-weekly basis. Each pay period is comprised of two workweeks. The workweek begins at 12:01 AM on Sunday and ends at 12:00 AM on Saturday. Payday is every other Friday and there are 26 pay periods in a year.

Annualized Payo All employees receive annualized pay in their bi-weekly paychecks,

whether central office employees who work 12 months per calendar year, or campus employees who work 11 or 10 months per calendar year.

o Exempt and Non-Exempt Employees – The amount of the paycheck will be based on the employee’s annual salary divided by the number of pay periods in the year (26).

o For the purposes of this handbook, annualized pay means the payment of wages is equalized payments over the course of 12 calendar months.

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Final Paycheck – If an employee is laid off, discharged, fired, quits, retires, resigns, or is otherwise involuntarily or voluntarily separated from employment, the final payday will be on the next regularly-scheduled payday following the effective date of departure. Any school employee who receives annualized pay and who has been overpaid wages as of their last day of employment either must reimburse the school for the amount of overpaid wages or must provide written consent for the amount of the overpaid wages to be deducted from the employee’s final paycheck.

Deductions

The Excel Center will only deduct wages from an employee’s paycheck under circumstances that are allowable under state and federal law. Additionally, any wages that an employee has requested and authorized in writing will be deducted.

Errors in Deductions – If there is a deduction that has been made that the employee believes is in error, the employee should immediately contact the Payroll Department. Retaliation against an employee who has questioned what he/she believes may be an incorrect deduction in pay is prohibited.

Administrative Fees – Texas law authorizes an employer to make certain deductions from pay for costs incurred in servicing a garnishment or wage attachment order. Accordingly, The Excel Center may charge the following administrative fees:

o Court-ordered child support – an employer may make a deduction for an administrative fee of up to $10.00 per month.

o Court-ordered spousal maintenance – an employer may make a deduction for an administrative fee of up to $5.00 per month.

o Guaranteed student loan wage attachments – an employer may make a deduction for an administrative fee of the actual cost, or $10.00, whichever is less per month.

Payroll Advances and Financial Loans

The Excel Center does not issue payroll advances to any employee under any circumstance. Additionally, the charter school does not extend financial loans to its employees. School employees may access the Goodwill Emergency Loan Program.

Supplemental Duties (Stipends)

The Superintendent may assign formal supplemental duties to personnel from time to time for activities such as small program administration (District/Campus Testing Coordinator, Team Lead, and Special Programs).

Supplemental Duty Pay for Exempt Employees – Exempt employees assigned supplemental duties shall be compensated for these assignments according to

Supplemental Duty Pay for Non-Exempt Employees – Non-exempt employee’s assigned supplemental duties shall be compensated for the supplemental duties on an hourly rate. The hourly rate set for the employee’s supplemental duty may differ from the hourly rate set for the employee’s core employment position. Overtime wages will be paid if the employee works over 40 hours per work week, whether the work is performed in the employee’s core duties, supplemental duties, or a combination of both duties.

No Contractual Obligation Committed – Paid supplemental duties do not create any contractual obligation by the charter school to continue the assignment of supplemental duty. An employee shall hold no expectation of continuing assignments to any paid supplemental duty.

Extra Duty Pay

Occasionally, a need may arise that requires additional staffing. These instances occur when an employee is scheduled to be off, but performs an extra duty for the District. The Extra Duty hourly rate for each leave group is listed below:

Leave Group 1 - $20.00/Hr Leave Group 2 - not eligible for Extra Duty Days Leave Group 3 - not eligible for Extra Duty Days Leave Group 4 – $15.00/Hr

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is The Excel Center’s method of payment for all employees paid by The Excel Center. Direct deposit enables The Excel Center to facilitate the distribution of pay to employees in a safe, secure, and timely manner. Payroll forms are submitted during the Goodwill New Hire Orientation. If a change needs to be made after orientation, please contact the Payroll Department.

Mistake in Payroll or Expense Reimbursement

Employees are required to immediately notify their supervisor in the event of a suspected mistake in their payroll or expense reimbursement. Failure to report an overpayment in payroll or in an expense reimbursement may result in disciplinary action.

Unemployment Compensation Insurance

Returning employees of the charter school are not eligible for unemployment

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compensation during scheduled school breaks such as during the summer months, winter break, and spring break. In this regard, the charter school may issue notices of reasonable assurance of continued employment to its employees. The notice of reasonable assurance is contingent on continued school operations and will not apply in the event of any disruption that is beyond the control of the charter school such as lack of school funding, natural disasters, court orders, public insurrections, and war. The letter of reasonable assurance is not an employment contract and does not create a right of continued employment for the employee. Employees who have been laid off or terminated through no fault of their own may be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. Employees with questions about unemployment benefits should contact the Human Resources Department.

LEAVE AND PAID TIME OFF

The District offers employees paid and unpaid leaves of absence in times of personal need. This handbook describes the types of leave available and information regarding the various leave groups. Employees who expect to be absent for an extended period of more than five days should call the Human Resources Department for information about applicable leave benefits, payment of insurance premiums, and requirements for communicating with the District. Employees must follow District procedures to report or request any leave of absence and complete the appropriate form or certification.

Holidays & Breaks

The Excel Center does not operate on holidays and school year breaks. The Excel Center will be closed during the following days:Holidays & School Year Breaks – District is ClosedMonth Date Detail Holiday/BreakSeptember 9/3/2018 Labor Day Holiday

October 10/8/2018 Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Holiday

November

11/19/2018 to 11/21/2018 Fall Break School Year

Break11/22/2018 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/23/2018 Fall Break School Year Break

December

12/24/2018 Christmas Eve Holiday12/25/2018 Christmas Holiday12/26/2018 to 12/31/2018 Winter Break School Year

Break

January 1/1/2019 New Year’s Day Holiday1/21/2019 MLK Jr. Day Holiday

March 3/18/2019 – 3/22/2019 Spring Break School Year

BreakMay 5/27/2019 Memorial Day Holiday

July 7/4/2019 Independence Day

Holiday

The Excel Center reception and administrative offices will operate during the summer break session. The 2019/2020 calendar has not yet been developed, so the end date for summer break 2019 has not yet been determined. In the instance that the holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be a holiday. In the instance that the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a holiday. Each year, the following list will be evaluated for “bridge” days (i.e. Fridays after holidays) that may also be added to the list of closed district days.

Reporting Leave

Non-exempt employees are required to record absences via the District Timekeeping System. Employees whose positions have been authorized to have a substitute are also required to submit a Substitute Request via Skyward so that a replacement can be found. The Substitute Request should be submitted at least one hour before the scheduled report-to-work time. If an absence occurs within one hour of the assigned report-to-work time, report the absence to the campus administrator or designee. The use of the Substitute Request System does not relieve the employee of the responsibility to notify the Campus Administrator or manager.

Leave Information

New Employees – First 90 Days

All new employees have access to Holidays/Breaks (as permitted by the employee’s leave group), 5 State days, and any available local days upon start date

Leave is available for use at the beginning of school year and will be applied on August 1. For employees who do not work the full assignment for the school year, all local leave, state leave, school year breaks, and summer break days (if applicable) will be prorated to reflect the actual number of days earned based on the number of days worked for the school year.

If the employee should fail to remain employed during the 90 day period, any paid holiday, break and local days will be deducted from the employee’s final paycheck. The employee will have the option to utilize any remaining available State Personal Days to cover the balance of deducted days. Any balance over the number of remaining State Personal Days will be deducted from the employee’s

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final paycheck.

Discretionary & Restricted Days

Leave taken at an employee’s discretion that can be scheduled in advance is considered discretionary leave. An employee wishing to take leave must submit a request to their manager at least 2 weeks in advance of the anticipated absence or as soon as the employee becomes aware of the anticipated absence. The effect of the employee’s absence on the educational program or department operations, as well as the availability of substitutes, will be considered by the manager.

The restricted days that are unavailable for personal leave are: Scheduled staff preparation days Professional development/early release days The first five and last five days of any term The day immediately preceding or following District holidays Days scheduled for state-mandated testing

Leave may not be taken on restricted days or for more than five consecutive workdays per term except in extenuating circumstances as determined by the Campus Administrator.

Local Leave

Eligibility for Local Personal Leave

All Local Personal Leave is issued according to the school employee’s assigned Leave Group and the number of full school year’s the employee has been employed with The Excel Center. Employees who transfer to The Excel Center from Goodwill Industries of Central Texas will receive credit for the years employed with Goodwill. Each employee is assigned a leave group upon hire. Available Local Leave will be utilized prior to deducting any State Leave. All leave requests with advance notice must be submitted to the employee’s manager at least 2 weeks in advance of the requested day(s) off. An employee absent from work without advance notice must notify their manager at the beginning of each workday or as soon as possible thereafter.

All employees begin accruing Local Leave effective the first day of employment. Employees who reach the designated cap will not accrue additional hours until their balance is reduced by using Local Leave. Local Leave may not be sold back to the company. All leave requests with the exception of sick/emergency days must be submitted to the employee’s manager at least 2 weeks in advance of the

requested day(s) off.

Leave Day & Years of Service Calculation

Leave Days are calculated based on the employee’s regular schedule and will be calculated by using the average # of daily work hours in the previous 90 days – not to exceed 8 hours per day. For example, an employee who is scheduled for a 5 hour work day will have a leave day equal to 5 hours.

Years of service are the current continuous full years of employment by Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and The Excel Center.

Use of Local Leave

Local Leave is paid leave and may be used for an employee’s illness, for the illness of a family member, for vacation days, or for any other personal reason as determined by the employee. Local Leave may only be paid if the employee has leave available. Leave taken in excess of the amount of available leave will be unpaid for non-exempt and exempt employees. Additionally, leave balances and employee leave trends will be addressed during the annual performance evaluation. Employees who exceed the amount of available leave (State & Local) during a school year may be subject to disciplinary action.

Approval for Local Personal Leave

At least 14 days prior to the anticipated absence, employees are required to complete an Employee Request for Leave and submit it to their supervisor via Skyward. For unexpected illnesses of an employee or of an employee’s family member, employees are required to submit an Employee Request for Leave via Skyward no later than the day that the employee returns to work.

Accumulation of Local Leave

At the end of each school year, any unused Local Leave balances of 280 hours or less will roll-over to the next school year. Local Leave will not be paid to any employee who is separated from employment because of resignation, retirement, or termination.

Leave Groups

Leave Group 1 – Generally includes Teachers/Coordinators/Life Coaches

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Off on all District Holidays & School Year Breaks & Summer Break State Leave – 5 Days Local Leave Maximum Balance of Local leave – 280 hours

o Local Leave is not earned for employees with less than 1 year of service

Leave Group Years of Service Local Leave Days1-A 1-4 11-B 5-9 31-C 10-15 51-D 16+ 7

Leave Group 2 – Generally includes Team Leads

Off on all District Holidays & School Year Breaks & Summer Break Works 5 days following the end of the school year & 5 days prior to all staff

returning at the beginning of the school year State Leave – 5 Days Local Leave

o Maximum Balance of Local leave – 280 hourso Local Leave is not earned for employees with less than 1 year of

service

Leave Group Years of Service Local Leave Days2-A 1-4 12-B 5-9 32-C 10-15 52-D 16+ 7

Leave Group 3 – Generally includes Office/Administrative Staff/District & Campus Leadership

Off on all District Holidays & School Year Breaks State Leave – 5 Days Local Leave

o Maximum Balance of Local leave – 280 hours o Local Leave is not earned for employees with less than 1 year of

service

Leave Group Years of Service Local Leave Days3-A 1-4 103-B 5-9 123-C 10-15 16

3-D 16+ 18

Leave Group 4 – Generally includes Non-Exempt Staff

Off on all District Holidays & School Year Breaks State Leave – 5 Days Local Leave

o Maximum Balance of Local leave – 280 hourso Local Leave is not earned for employees with less than 1 year of

service

Leave Group School Years of Service Local Leave Days4-A 1-4 14-B 5-9 34-C 10-15 54-D 16+ 7

On-call employees, such as Substitute teachers and Interpreters are not assigned a leave group and do not receive local leave.

State Leave

Under the State of Texas’ minimum personal leave program, which is codified in Section 22.003 of the Texas Education Code, public school district employees receive five days per year of personal leave that has no limit on accumulation and is transferrable among school districts. This program does not apply to charter schools. Nevertheless, The Excel Center honors state leave days. State leave days may be transferred to and used by any former school district employee during the employee’s employment tenure with The Excel Center. Employees will not accumulate any additional state leave days beyond the five days per school year.

A day of State leave is calculated based on the average number of hours per day in an employee’s usual assignment – not to exceed 8 hours, whether exempt or non-exempt; full-time or part-time.

Local Leave Donations

You may voluntarily donate local leave to benefit fellow employees who personally suffer catastrophic injury or illness or who have someone in their immediate family suffer catastrophic injury or illness. State leave may not be donated. The affected employee’s Vice President will notify fellow employees of the need. The manager must approve the donated leave.

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Anniversaries

The District wishes to recognize staff as they reach milestone anniversaries with the District. Years of service are the current continuous full years of employment by Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and The Excel Center. Below shows the details for the one-time milestone anniversary recognition: Years Anniversary Gift Time Off Gift5 $150 8 hrs10 $200 8 hrs15 $250 8 hrs20 $750 8 hrs25 $1,050 16 hrs30 $1,350 16 hrs

Leave Carry-Over, Proration & Balances after Separation

State leave balances earned at other Texas school districts will be carried forward to the District. It is the employee’s responsibility to submit current and accurate service records to the Human Resources Department to ensure this carry over.

If an employee separates from employment with the District before the last duty day of the year, or begins employment after the first duty day, all state leave and paid District Holidays & Breaks will be prorated based on the actual time employed. When an employee separates from employment before the last duty day of the school year, the employee’s final paycheck will be reduced by the amount of state personal leave the employee used beyond their pro rata entitlement for the school year.

When possible, separations should occur in between school year terms or at the end of the school year. School employees are expected to provide at least 14 calendars day notice of separation.

If an employee resigns, any unused state leave remains on the employee’s service record indefinitely and, if requested by the employee, will transfer with the employee to other public school districts in Texas. Local leave does not transfer.

Employees who provide and work the 14 calendar day’s following notice of resignation are eligible to be paid for any unused local leave. Employees who are separating as a result of a Reduction in Force (RIF) or Department/Program Re-organization (Re-Org) are eligible to be paid any unused local leave. Notice of RIF and/or Re-Org will be provided as early as possible to the employee. Employees who are separating as a result of termination are not eligible to be paid for any unused local leave. If a holiday falls within the notice period, it will

be counted as part of the notice. School year breaks and summer break do not count within the notice period. Employees who fail to provide and/or work the notice period forfeit their unused local leave and may not be eligible for rehire.

Leave Pay upon RetirementEmployees who have 10 or more years of continuous employment in the District and retire under the Teachers Retirement System from the District shall be reimbursed for accrued local leave, not to exceed the maximum balance of days as allowed by the assigned leave group, according to the following rates:

Non-Exempt Employees10-14 $50/day15-19 $60/day20+ $70/dayExempt Employees10-14 $70/day15-19 $80/day20+ $90/day

Extended Leave Provisions

Temporary Disability Leave for Exempt Employees

Any exempt employee is eligible for temporary disability leave. The purpose of temporary disability leave is to provide job protection to exempt employees who cannot work for an extended period of time because of a mental or physical disability of a temporary nature. Temporary disability leave must be taken as a continuous block of time. It may not be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule. Pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy are treated the same as any other temporary disability.

Employees must request approval for temporary disability leave. An employee’s notification of need for extended absence due to the employee’s own medical condition shall be accepted as a request for temporary disability leave. The request must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming the employee’s inability to work and estimating a probable date of return. If disability leave is approved, the length of leave is no longer than 180 calendar days.

If an employee is placed on temporary disability leave involuntarily, he or she has the right to request a hearing before the Board of Trustees. The employee may protest the action and present additional evidence of fitness to work.

When an employee is ready to return to work, the employee shall notify the Payroll Department at least 30 days in advance. The return-to-work notice must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming that the

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employee is able to resume regular duties. Exempt employees returning from leave will be reinstated to the school to which they were previously assigned if an appropriate position is available. If an appropriate position is not available, the employee may be assigned to another campus, subject to the approval of the Campus Administrator. If a position is not available before the end of the school year, the employee will be reinstated to a position at the original campus at the beginning of the following school year.

Medical Certification

Any employee who is absent 15 or more consecutive days shall require certification of a health care provider, either prior to or on the day he or she returns to work.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits covered employers from requesting or requiring genetic information of an individual or family member of the individual, except as specifically allowed by this law. To comply with this law, we ask that employees and health care providers do not provide any genetic information in any medical certification. ‘Genetic information,’ as defined by GINA, includes an individual’s family medical history, the results of an individual’s or family member’s genetic tests, the fact that an individual or an individual’s family member sought or received genetic services, and genetic information of a fetus carried by an individual or an individual’s family member or an embryo lawfully held by an individual or family member receiving assistive reproductive services.

Continuation of Health Insurance

Employees on an approved leave of absence other than family and medical leave may continue their insurance benefits at their own expense. Health insurance benefits for employees on paid leave and leave designated under the Family and Medical Leave Act will be paid by the District as they were prior to the leave. Otherwise, the District does not pay any portion of insurance premiums for employees who are on unpaid leave.

Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees of covered employers with unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons.

Covered Employer - The Excel Center is a private employer covered under the FMLA because it is a public secondary school.

Eligible Employees – An employee is eligible for FMLA leave if the employee (a) has worked for the charter school for at least 12 months, (b) has worked for the charter school for at least 1,250 hours in the 12

months before leave is taken, and (c) works at a location where the charter school has at least 50 employees within 75 miles of their worksite.

Authorized FMLA Leave – An eligible employee may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected FMLA leave in any 12-month period for the following reasons:

o Birth of a child or to care for the newborn childo Placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster careo Employee is needed to care for the employee’s spouse, son,

daughter, or parent with a serious health conditiono The employee’s own serious health condition makes the employee

unable to perform the functions of the employee’s jobo Any qualifying exigency arising from the foreign deployment of the

employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent with the Armed Forces, or

o To care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the employee is the service member’s spouse, child, parent, or next of kin

Twelve Month Period – For purposed of an employee’s entitlement to FMLA leave, The Excel Center establishes the 12-month period as September 1 through August 31

Authorized FMLA Leave for Spouses – Spouses who are employed by the charter school may be limited to a combined total of 12 weeks of FMLA leave during any 12-month period if leave is taken for the birth of a son or daughter, the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or to care for a parent with a serious health condition.

Requesting FMLA Leave – To take FMLA leave, employees must provide The Excel Center with appropriate notice. If employees know in advance that they will need FMLA leave, they must give at least 30 days advanced notice. If employees learn of the need for FMLA leave less than 30 days in advance, they must give notice as soon as possible.

Medical Certification – Upon receipt of the employee’s request for FMLA leave, The Excel Center may request medical certification from the health care provider of the employee or of the employee’s health provider, as applicable. If medical certification is requested, the employee has 15 calendar days to provide it. The employee is responsible for the cost of securing the certification from a health care provider and for timely returning the signed certification to the employee’s direct supervisor. Similarly, The Excel Center also may require, in order for the employee to return to work, medical certification that the employee is fit for duty.

Qualifying Exigency – An eligible employee may take FMLA leave for one or more of the following qualifying exigencies arising from the foreign deployment of the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent:

o Short-notice deploymento Military events and related activities

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o Childcare and school activitieso Financial and legal arrangementso Counselingo Rest and recuperationo Post-deployment activitieso Parental careo Additional activities, provided that the district and employee agree

that the leave shall qualify as an exigency and agree to both the timing and duration.

The charter school may require that leave for a qualifying exigency be supported by a certification.

Intermittent Leave – Employees are entitled to take FMLA leave on an intermittent or reduced scheduled basis.

o If an employee needs intermittent or reduced schedule leave that is foreseeable based on planned medical treatment, the employee may be temporarily transferred to an alternative position that better accommodates recurring periods of leave.

o When leave is taken after the birth of a healthy child or placement of a healthy child for adoption or foster care, an employee may take leave intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule only if the charter school agrees.

FMLA Leave through the end of an Academic Term – The charter school may require an employee to take FMLA leave until the end of an academic term. If the charter school requires an employee to extend the employee’s leave in accordance with this provision, then only the period of leave until the employee is ready and able to return to work shall be charged against the employee’s FMLA leave entitlement. Any additional leave required by the charter school to the end of the academic term is not counted as FMLA leave.

Maintenance of Health Benefits – During an employee’s FMLA leave, The Excel Center will maintain the employee’s coverage under any group health plan on the same basis as coverage would have been provided if the employee had been continuously employed during the entire leave period.

Returning to Work – On return from FMLA leave, an employee is entitled to be returned to the same position the employee held when leave began, or to an equivalent position with equivalent benefits, pay, and other terms and conditions of employment.

o An employee is entitled to reinstatement even if the employee has been replaced or the employee’s position has been restructured to accommodate the employee’s absence. However, an employee has no greater right to reinstatement or to other benefits and conditions of employment than if the employee had been continuously employed during the FMLA leave period.

o An employee is entitled to any unconditional pay increased that may have occurred during the FMLA leave period, such as cost of living increases.

o The charter school may deny job restoration to a key employee if such denial is necessary to prevent substantial and grievous economic injury to the operations of the district.

o When reinstateing an employee to the same or equivalent position, The Excel Center shall consider the title, job description, duties, supervisory responsibilities, professional capacity, and other factors related to the terms and conditions of employment for that role.

Failure to Return to Work – If, at the expiration of FMLA leave, the employee is able to return to work, but chooses not to do so, the District shall require reimbursement of the premiums paid by the District during the leave.

Retaliation – The Excel Center is prohibited from retaliating against any employee for requesting or taking FMLA leave.

Applicable Forms – For the purpose of providing notice and certifications required by this policy, the employee and the charter school shall use the charter school’s Employee Request for Leave Form” and the FMLA forms promulgated by or substantially similar to the forms promulgated by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Military Leave of Absence

The Excel Center is committed to protecting the employment rights of employees serving in the uniformed services who must be absent due to military leave. The Excel Center will comply with applicable state and federal laws regarding an employee’s absence due to service in the uniformed services.

Eligible Employees – An employee who is a member of the Texas National Guard, Texas State Guard, reserve component of the United States Armed Forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized Urban Search and Rescue team is entitled to paid leave for authorized training or duty orders. Paid military leave is limited to 15 days each fiscal year. In addition, an employee is entitled to use any other available paid leave during a time of active military service.

Reemployment after Military Leave – Employees who leave the charter school to enter into the United State uniformed services or who are ordered to active duty as a member of the military force of any state (e.g., National or State Guard) may return to employment if they are honorably discharged. An employee wishing to return to the charter school will be eligible for reemployment if the person is qualified to perform the required employment duties. Additionally, returning employees must have previously provided notice of their obligation or intent to perform military service, must provide evidence of honorable discharge or release, and must submit timely application for reemployment. Timely applications are:

o In the case of a person whose period of service in the uniformed services was for more than 30 days, but less than 181 days, by submitting an application for reemployment with the employer

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not later than 14 days after the completion of the period of service or if submitting such application within such period is impossible or unreasonable through no fault of the person, the next first full calendar day when submission of such application becomes possible.

o In the case of a person whose period of service in the uniformed services was for more than 180 days, by submitting an application of reemployment with the employer not later than 90 days after the completion of the period of service.

Other Types of Leave

Bereavement Leave

In support of strong families, Goodwill provides full-time employees with up to three days of paid Bereavement Leave on the occasion of the death of a family member. An immediate family member is defined as a spouse or domestic partner, child or step-child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, father-in-law, and mother-in-law.

To receive payment for bereavement leave, employees must contact their manager at the earliest opportunity to advise them of the dates required to attend the funeral/memorial service or to be with family during the period of grieving (within a week of the family member’s death). Documentation may be required to confirm the death and the relationship in order to be paid the bereavement benefit.

Civic Leave (Jury Duty)/Court Appearance

The Excel Center will grant employees time off for mandatory jury duty or for court appearances as a witness when the employee must serve or is required to appear as a result of a jury summons, court order, or subpoena. A copy of the jury summons, court order, or subpoena must be supplied to the employee’s supervisor when requesting time off. The employee is entitled to full pay for each day of jury duty or service as a witness up to three (3) days per year, in addition to any other applicable paid leave.

However, if the employee is court-ordered or subpoenaed for court appearances as a party to any civil or criminal litigation, then the employee’s court attendance shall not be compensated and the employee must arrange for time off without pay or use other paid leave for such appearances.

Assault Leave

Assault leave provides extended job income and benefits protection to an employee who is injured as the result of a physical assault suffered during the performance of his or her job. An injury is treated as an assault if the person

causing the injury could be prosecuted for assault or could not be prosecuted only because that person’s age or mental capacity renders the person non-responsible for purposes of criminal liability.

An employee who is physically assaulted at work may take the leave time medically necessary (up to two years) to recover from the physical injuries he or she sustained. At the request of an employee, the District will immediately assign the employee to assault leave. Days of leave granted under the assault leave provision will not be deducted from accrued personal leave and must be coordinated with workers’ compensation benefits. Upon investigation the District may change the assault leave status and charge leave used against the employee’s accrued paid leave. The employee’s pay will be deducted if accrued paid leave is not available

Workers’ Compensation Leave

The Excel Center does have workers’ compensation insurance. Employees should immediately notify their supervisor of any injuries sustained during the course of their employment. If required, any workers’ compensation leave will be provided in accordance with state law.

Optional Unpaid Leave of Absence

With the express written permission of the employee’s direct supervisor and the charter school superintendent, any employee may be permitted to take unpaid leave for up to one school year for any professional or personal reason determined acceptable by the charter school superintendent. Requests for leave of absence are handled on a case-by-case basis and must include a start and end date. Employees will be required to use their available PTO concurrent with any leave of absence. Unless otherwise required by law, the employee will not be entitled to any compensation or employment benefits during the period of the employee’s unpaid leave. A leave of absence request can be obtained from the employee’s manager or the Human Resources Department. An employee must contact their manager at least one week prior to the expiration of the approved leave period to coordinate their return to work. If a continued leave of absence is needed by the employee, a request for an extended benefit will be considered based on business needs. Failure to return to work as scheduled will result in termination of employment.

Concurrent Use of Leave

If an employee is simultaneously eligible for paid leave and unpaid leave, to the extent permitted by law, the employee’s paid leave shall run concurrently with the employee’s unpaid leave.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

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Expected Employee Conduct

One of the goals of the District is to create an enjoyable place to work where people can enjoy the energy of everyone working together toward common goals. However, on occasion there may be individuals who negatively impact others or the environment by violating the work rules. Management will move quickly to address these situations as it is the District’s obligation to do so in order to maintain a positive work atmosphere. All employees are expected work together in a cooperative spirit to serve the best interests of the school and to be courteous to students, one another, and the public

All Employees are expected to:

Meet established expectations of job performance; Comply with attendance policies; Be responsible in the performance of job duties; Be efficient; Respect the personal and property rights of all individuals one comes in

contact with during the course of The Excel Center’s business; Follow job instructions; Maintain a courteous and professional demeanor Maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to students and coworkers Professionally support District policies and procedures Express concerns, complaints, or criticism through appropriate channels

All employees should perform their duties in accordance with state and federal law, District & Campus policies and procedures, and ethical standards. These include the Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics, NASW Code of Ethics and any other professional Code of Ethics related to licensure or certification. Alleged incidents of certain misconduct by educators, including having a criminal record, must be reported to SBEC not later than the seventh day the superintendent first learns of the incident.

Without altering the employment “at-will” doctrine, Excel believes in a progressive process of corrective action. Corrective action is taken for the purpose of guiding employees to correct unacceptable behavior and work performance and also to adhere to established policy and procedures. Employees who do not adhere to these standards are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

The Direct Manager, Executive Management team or Human Resources Department, has complete discretion in determining what corrective action will be taken. Corrective action can range from verbal counseling sessions, to written warnings, to suspension from duty, with or without pay or termination of employment.

Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics

Taken from the Texas Education Code, §21.041 (b) (8), the Educators Code of

Ethics, adopted by the State Board for Educator Certification, all employees, volunteers, and contractors of the District will comply with the following Standards:

Purpose & Scope

The Texas educator shall comply with standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials, parents, and members of the community and shall safeguard academic freedom. The Texas educator, in maintaining the dignity of the profession, shall respect and obey the law, demonstrate personal integrity, and exemplify honesty. The Texas educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, shall extend just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession. The Texas educator, in accepting a position of public trust, shall measure success by the progress of each student toward realization of his or her potential as an effective citizen. The Texas educator, in fulfilling responsibilities in the community, shall cooperate with parents and others to improve the public schools of the community. (19 TAC 247.1(b))

Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices & Performance

1.1 - Staff shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district, educational institution, educator preparation program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and its certification process.

1.2 - Staff shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage.

1.3 - Staff shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay.

1.4 - Staff shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.

1.5 - Staff shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair professional judgment or to obtain special advantage. This standard shall not restrict the acceptance of small gifts or tokens offered and accepted openly from students, parents or other persons or organizations in recognition or appreciation of service.

1.6 - Staff shall not falsify records, or direct or coerce others to do so. 1.7 - Staff shall comply with Texas and federal regulations and other

applicable Texas and federal laws. 1.8 - Staff shall apply for, accept, offer, or assign a position or a responsibility

on the basis of professional qualifications. 1.9 - Staff shall not make threats of violence against school district

employees, school board members, students, or parents of students 1.10 - Staff shall be of good moral character and be worthy to instruct or

supervise the youth of this state.

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1.11 - Staff shall not intentionally or knowingly misrepresent his or her employment history, criminal history, and/or disciplinary record when applying for subsequent employment.

1.12 - Staff shall refrain from the illegal use or distribution of controlled substances and/or abuse of prescription drugs and toxic inhalants.

1.13 - Staff shall not consume alcoholic beverages on school property or during school activities when students are present.

Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues:

2.1 - Staff shall not reveal confidential health or personal information concerning colleagues unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law.

2.2 - Staff shall not harm others by knowingly making false statements about a colleague or the school system.

2.3 - Staff shall adhere to Texas and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.

2.4 - Staff shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political, professional or citizenship rights and responsibilities.

2.5 - Staff shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, or family status.

2.6 - Staff shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues.

2.7 - Staff shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with the SBEC under this chapter

Ethical Conduct Toward Students:

3.1 - Staff shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law;

3.2 - Staff shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health or safety of the student or minor;

3.3 - Staff shall not intentionally, knowingly or recklessly misrepresent facts regarding a student;

3.4 - Staff shall not exclude a student from participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage to a student on the basis of color, gender, disability, national origin, religion, family status or sexual orientation;

3.5 - Staff shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engaging in physical mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of a student or minor;

3.6 - Staff shall not solicit or engage in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor;

3.7 - Staff shall not furnish alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child or knowingly allow any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drug in the presence of the educator;

3.8 - Staff shall maintain appropriate professional educator-student relationships and boundaries based on a reasonably prudent educator standard;

3.9 - Staff shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including, but limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging or other social network communication. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communications is inappropriate include, but are limited to:

o The nature, purpose, timing and amount of the communication;o The subject matter of the communication;o Whether the communication was made openly or the staff attempted to

conceal the communication;o Whether the communication could be reasonably interpreted as

soliciting sexual contact or a romantic relationship;o Whether the communication was sexually explicit; and o Whether the communication involved discussion(s) of the physical or

sexual attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preference or fantasies or either the staff or the student.

Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment

Non-Discrimination

The Excel Center is committed to honor the laws that prohibits a person from being excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination, harassment or retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including gender or gender identify), sexual orientation, or marital status. Employees are prohibited from discriminating against other employees, against applicants, or against students based on the aforementioned protected classes. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination.

Anti-Harassment

The Excel Center is committed to creating and maintaining a work environment free of all forms of unlawful harassment. Employees are prohibited from engaging in all forms of unlawful harassment, including harassment based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual harassment, and any other protected class status. Harassment based on any of the aforementioned protected classes may include, but is not limited to, many different types of actions: verbal (e.g. derogatory comment), physical (e.g. assault), or visual (e.g. internet materials).

Workplace Harassment: Workplace harassment is defined as unwelcome verbal or nonverbal conduct, based upon a person’s

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protected status, that shows hostility or aversion because of that status, and which affects the person’s term or conditions of employment or has the purpose of creating an intimidating or hostile work environment. Examples of workplace Harassment may include:

o Epithets, slurs or negative stereotypingo Threatening, intimidating or hostile actso Denigrating jokeso Display of circulation of emails, text messages, tweets, or other

graphic materials that denigrates a person based on their protected status.

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. Both victim and harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination defined as: (1) submission to or rejection of harassing conduct used as the basis of employment decisions, (2) harassing conduct that has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment, or (3) submission to harassing conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment. Examples of sexual harassment include:

o Unwelcome or unsolicited sexual advanceso Displaying sexually suggestive materialo Unwelcome text messages, IM’s, or emails of a sexual natureo Sexually oriented or obscene jokeso Verbal abuse of a sexual natureo Unwelcome physical contact or touching

Retaliation: The Excel Center prohibits retaliation against an employee who makes a claim alleging to have experienced discrimination or harassment or another employee who, in good faith, makes a report, serves as a witness, or otherwise participates in an investigation. Examples of retaliation may include termination, refusal to hire, demotion, and denial of promotion. Retaliation may also include threats, unjustified negative evaluation, unjustified negative references, or increased surveillance.

False Claims, False Statements, Refusal to Cooperate: An employee who intentionally makes a false claim, offers false statements, or refuses to cooperate with The Excel Center’s investigation regarding harassment or discrimination is subject to appropriate discipline.

Reporting Discrimination and/or Harassment

This section applies to both incidents of harassment and discrimination.

Employees should promptly report an incident of discrimination or harassment to Human Resources. The employee should not assume that witnesses to the incident will know the conduct is unwelcomed; an employee should not rely on a

witness to report the conduct for the employee. Informing the harasser that the conduct is unwelcomed is not a report of harassment since the harasser may not self-report the violation to management or the Human Resources Department.

If the alleged harasser is the employee’s supervisor, a manager, or even one of the individuals designated to receive harassment reports, the employee does not have to directly report the incident to that individual, but instead must notify the Human Resources Department in order to ensure that the matter is promptly and appropriately addressed.

Any supervisor/manager who receives information indicating a concern about harassment or discrimination must report it to the Human Resources Department, even if the information comes from someone other than the target of the harassment or discrimination, or even if the person expressing the concern indicates that they do not wish to have the harassment or discrimination reported.

The Excel Center will promptly investigate any report and take appropriate remedial action. If the harassment or discrimination continues, the employee must immediately report the incident so that the matter can be reopened and addressed.

Retaliation for reporting what an employee believes to be harassing or discriminatory conduct or for participating in an investigation of alleged harassment or discrimination is prohibited. Any retaliation should be reported according to the same procedures as reporting discrimination or harassment.

Any employee engaging in any type of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. Any supervisor who has knowledge of such behavior yet takes no action to report it is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

Harassment of Students

Sexual and other harassment of students by employees are forms of discrimination and are prohibited by law. Romantic or inappropriate social relationships between students and District employees or contractors are prohibited. Employees who suspect a student may have experienced prohibited harassment are obligated to report their concerns to a School Administrator. All allegations of prohibited harassment or abuse of a student will be reported to the student's parents and promptly investigated. An employee who knows of or suspects child abuse must also report his or her knowledge or suspicion to the appropriate authorities, as required by law.

Reasonable Accommodation

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In the event an employee needs to request a reasonable accommodation in the employee’s work conditions or in the charter school’s stated policies or procedures due to the employee’s disability, as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, or due to the employee’s sincerely held religious belief, then the employee should notify his or her direct supervisor and/or Human Resources

Reasonable Accommodation for Physical or Mental Impairment: The Excel Center will make a reasonable accommodation for the physical or mental impairment of an employee that substantially limits the employee’s major life activities unless the requested accommodation creates an undue hardship for the charter school. The Excel Center encourages all employees to inform their supervisor and/or Human Resources of any mental or physical impairment that substantially limits an employee’s major life activity.

Reasonable Accommodation for Sincerely Held Religious Beliefs: The Excel Center will make a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless the requested accommodation creates an undue hardship for the charter school.

Undue Hardship: For purposes of this policy, an undue hardship is defined as a significant difficulty or expense. Undue hardship is determined on a case by case basis.

Corporal Punishment

No employee or agent of Excel shall cause corporal punishment to be inflicted upon a student to reform unacceptable conduct or as a consequence for unacceptable conduct.

Zero Tolerance for Cheating on State Assessments

Excel adheres to a "zero tolerance" policy regarding cheating in the administration of state student assessments. Any employee found to have engaged in such behavior will be subject to immediate termination of employment.

Reporting Child Abuse/Neglect

An employee, volunteer, or agent that believes a child has been adversely affected by physical, sexual, or mental abuse or neglect must make a report within 48 hours of first suspecting such abuse or neglect. The report must be made to law enforcement or the Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services.

Employees and contractors are also required to make a report if they have cause to believe that an adult was a victim of abuse or neglect as a child and they determine in good faith that the disclosure of the information is necessary to protect the health and safety of another child or disabled person.

The Life Coach Lead or Student Mental Health Counselor can provide information on how to report abuse and provide direct in-person support to staff members wo may be required to make a report of abuse. Reports to Child Protective Services can be made to the Texas Abuse Hotline (800.252.5400). State law specifies that an employee may not delegate to or rely on another person to make the report.

Under state law, any persons reporting or assisting in the investigation of reported child abuse or neglect is immune from liability unless the report is made in bad faith or with malicious intent. In addition, Excel is prohibited from retaliating against an employee who, in good faith, reports child abuse or neglect or who participates in an investigation regarding an allegation of child abuse or neglect.

An employee's or contractor’s failure to report suspected child abuse may result in prosecution as a Class A misdemeanor. In addition, a certified employee's failure to report suspected child abuse may result in disciplinary procedures by SBEC for a violation of the "Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators". In addition, employees or contractors who suspect that a student has been abused or neglected should immediately report their concerns to their manager. This includes students who are no longer minors. Employee or contractors are not required to report their concerns to their manager before making a report to the appropriate agencies.

Reporting the concern to the manager does not relieve the employee or contractor of the requirement to report to the appropriate state agency. In addition, employees and contractors must cooperate with child abuse and neglect investigators. Interference with a child abuse investigation by denying interviewer's request to interview a student at school or requiring the presence of a parent or school administrator against the desires of the duly authorized investigator is prohibited.

Reporting Crime

The Texas Whistleblower Act protects district employees who make good faith reports of violations of law by the district to an appropriate law enforcement authority. The district is prohibited from suspending, terminating the employment of, or taking other adverse personnel action against, an employee who makes a report under the Act. State law also provides employees with the right to report a crime witnessed at the school to any peace officer with authority to investigate the crime.

Workplace Investigations

There are instances when The Excel Center may wish to investigate personnel matters. Employees are required to cooperate in any investigation. Refusal to participate, or actions taken to compromise the effectiveness of any investigation, may result in termination. If the employee is instructed not to discuss the matter

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being investigated, failure to abide by this instruction may also result in termination. This restriction excludes the employee’s privileged communications with his or her own private legal counsel.

Allowable Uses of School Property

Employees may use The Excel Center’s property only for a purpose that is consistent with applicable law and to implement a program that is described in The Excel Center’s charter. Without written permission from the Campus Administrator, employees are prohibited from using school property for non-instructional purposes. Also, using charter school property for political purposes is prohibited. Employees must request approval from a supervisor before distributing third-party materials on school property or at school related events. Employees and contractors may remove equipment, such as laptops and other electronic devices, from District premises for use away from work in conducting school-related business. Equipment released to exempt employees in such a manner may not be used for personal use and must be properly safeguarded and handled with reasonable care.Employees of The Excel Center may use local telephone service, cellular phones, email, internet connections for incidental personal use under the following conditions:

Such incidental personal use must not result in any direct cost paid with state funds. If this does happen, the employee who caused the direct cost to be incurred by The Excel Center must reimburse The Excel Center;

Such incidental personal use must not impede the functions of The Excel Center;

The use of The Excel Center property for private commercial purposes is strictly prohibited; and

Only incidental amounts of an employee’s time for personal matters, comparable to reasonable coffee breaks during the day, are authorized under this section.

An employee may be required to compensate The Excel Center for any damage and/or destruction the employee causes to The Excel Center property. A violation(s) of this section may result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

Computer & Internet Use

With the exception of the incidental personal use, access and use of The Excel Center’s computers, computer networks, electronic mail, and the Internet is only for educational and administrative purposes. The access of material that is obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors is prohibited.

Failure to comply with this section may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Technology: Acceptable Use Policy

The District provides the necessary tools for employees to effectively perform their duties. This includes computers, point of sale terminals, access to the internet as well as email accounts, etc. All tools are the property of the District and shall be operated and maintained within the guidelines established to protect the District and organizational property. Computers, systems, and networks are the property of the District. All employees are expected to protect the Goodwill IT network by utilizing appropriate security measures, including:

1. Keep passwords secure and confidential; change passwords every six months or as required under separate policy.

2. Before leaving a computer unattended, ensure that the screen lock is engaged and the computer is attached to the desk using appropriate security measures.

3. Do not connect personal media, such as personal iPhones and memory sticks, to a District computer.

4. Streaming audio and video, such as YouTube, iTunes, and Pandora, are not permitted on the Goodwill network unless needed for work-related purposes. For approval and permissions to stream media, contact the Director of IT.

Computer systems, including email, may be monitored by designated authorized individuals to ensure the security and maintenance of the Goodwill network. There is no expectation of privacy with regard to information stored, sent, or received using Goodwill systems. Confidential information required for the successful operations and administration of the District is maintained in accordance with appropriate security controls. Employees who have access to confidential information will be provided guidance regarding appropriate protections of the information. Efforts to break these controls or otherwise access protected information are a violation of the Acceptable Use policy. Violations of this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Personal Use of Electronic Media

Electronic media includes all forms of social media, such as text messaging, instant messaging, electronic mail (e-mail), Web logs (blogs), wikis, electronic forums (chat rooms), video-sharing Web sites (e.g., YouTube), editorial comments posted on the Internet, and social network sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram). Electronic media also includes all forms of telecommunication such as landlines, cell phones, and Web-based applications.

As role models for the district’s students, employees are responsible for their public conduct even when they are not acting as district employees. Employees will be held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct. If an employee’s use of electronic media interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his or her job duties, the employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and

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including termination of employment. If an employee wishes to use a social network site or similar media for personal purposes, the employee is responsible for the content on the employee’s page, including content added by the employee, the employee’s friends, or members of the public who can access the employee’s page, and for web links on the employee’s page. The employee is also responsible for maintaining privacy settings appropriate to the content.

An employee who uses electronic media for personal purposes shall observe the following:

The employee may not set up or update the employee’s personal social network page(s) using the district’s computers, network, or equipment.

The employee shall limit use of personal electronic communication devices to send or receive calls, text messages, pictures, and videos to breaks, meal times, and before and after scheduled work hours, unless there is an emergency or the use is authorized by a manager to conduct district business.

The employee shall not use the District’s logo or other copyrighted material of the District without express, written consent.

An employee may not share or post, in any format, videos, or pictures obtained while on duty or on District business unless the employee first obtains written approval from the employee’s immediate manager. Employees should be cognizant that they have access to information and images that, if transmitted to the public, could violate privacy concerns.

The employee continues to be subject to applicable state and federal laws, local policies, administrative regulations, and the Texas Educators Code of Ethics, even when communicating regarding personal and private matters, regardless of whether the employee is using private or public equipment, on or off campus.

These restrictions include:

Confidentiality of student records. Confidentiality of health or personnel information concerning colleagues,

unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. Confidentiality of District records, including educator evaluations and private

email addresses. Copyright law. Prohibition against harming others by knowingly making false statements

about a colleague or the school system.

Social Media

Employees are encouraged to join the Goodwill Central Texas Facebook page and Follow The Excel Center Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to stay informed of the latest information about events and achievements at Goodwill and the District. The following guidelines are provided to assist you in making wise decisions with regard to what you may or may not want to share on your personal social media page:

Employees’ posts to their personal social media page will be considered their personal opinion; any information about Goodwill/The Excel Center Charter District and employees should include a statement that the post is the personal opinion of the individual poster and is not attributable to Goodwill or the District. Personal social media activity is not permitted on company time.

Respect the right to privacy of your fellow employees and customers. Avoid posting or publishing images of others without their permission. Avoid publishing or posting sensitive personal information of others without their permission.

Goodwill and the District prohibit harassment or bullying of employees using social media. Harassment and bullying, whether at work or through social media, will be investigated based on the impact to the work environment.

Posting, publishing, or releasing confidential or proprietary information of Goodwill or the District constitutes unauthorized disclosure of information.

If your job includes the use of social media, you are required to be familiar and comply with the District social media policy as it relates to your duties.

The District reserves the right to monitor social media content for information that misrepresents the District’s values, programs, and goals. In the event of such misrepresentation, Goodwill reserves the right to seek corrective measures as permitted by regulations and civil statute.

All District employees are expected not to engage any students or recent graduates via personal social media. Any interactions with students via personal social media are subject to investigation for misconduct.

Audio and Video Recording

An employee is prohibited from making any audio or video recording while acting in the course and scope of their employment or while on school property without the written consent of each person subject to the recording. School functions such as athletic activities or performances are exempt from this prohibition. Furthermore, an employee is prohibited from using his or her personal cell phone or school issued cell phone to photograph students or to post student photographs unless the employee has received expressed written consent from the student’s parent or legal guardian or the employee has confirmed with The Excel Center that the charter school has received expressed written consent from the student’s parent or legal guardian.

Use of Electronic Communications & Media with Students

Electronic communication means any communication facilitated by the use of any electronic device, including a telephone, cellular telephone, computer, computer network, personal data assistant, or pager. The term includes e-mails, text messages, instant messaged, and any communications made through an Internet website, including a social media website or a social networking website.

All employees may use electronic media to communicate with currently enrolled students about matters within the scope of the employees’ job responsibilities. Employees may not disclose to students their personal

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telephone number or e-mail address. Employees’ use of electronic media to communicate with currently enrolled students for social reasons is prohibited. All employees shall be prohibited from using electronic media to communicate inappropriately with students who are currently enrolled in the District.

Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to:

1. The nature, purpose, timing, and amount of the communication;2. The subject matter of the communication;3. Whether the communication was made opening or the educator attempted to

conceal the communication;4. Whether the communication could be reasonably interpreted as soliciting

sexual contact or a romantic relationship;5. Whether the communication was sexually explicit; 6. Whether the communication involved discussion of the physical or sexual

attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preferences, or fantasies of either the educator or the student.

Staff may utilize School Messenger in order to communicate with students and classes. The SchoolMessenger app is available on the Android Google Play and Apple iOS app stores under the name “SchoolMessenger”.

Staff/Student Relationships – Current & Former

All Excel Center employees will recognize and respect the rights of students, as established by local, state, and federal law. Employees shall, at all times, maintain a professional relationship and exhibit a professional demeanor in their interactions with students. Employees shall not form personally intimate or romantic relationships with students, regardless of whether the student is 18 years old. Intimate physical contact between an employee and a student is strictly prohibited, even if consensual. For purposes of this policy, “intimate physical contact” includes but is not limited to holding hands, lap sitting, kissing, petting, and sexual intercourse of any kind.

Text messages and email communications are prohibited between employees and students unless the communication is for educational purposes. The Excel Center prohibits employees from being friends or connecting with students on any social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and others. Also, employees are prohibited from engaging in electronic dating applications with students such as Tinder.

Employees may elect not to disclose their personal telephone number or email address to students.

Employees must report any behavior that is observed at school or at any school-related or school-sponsored activity that might violate this policy. Additionally, if employees receive any inappropriate communication from a student, the employee must report the incident to the campus administrator. Reports may be submitted directly to the campus administrator via email or verbally in person. A

report should include the name of the employee involved, name of the student involved, location of incident, and description of incident. If possible, a report should include any copies of communication between the employee and the student.

District employees may only engage in a personal relationship with former students after the student has been a graduate for 1 year.

Privacy

In an effort to ensure the privacy of all employees and prevent the distribution of unauthorized images, cell phones, cameras, or other electronic/recording devices are prohibited and their use is limited in specified areas, unless specific authorization has been given. At no time will an employee make, produce, or otherwise publish unauthorized audio and/or video recordings and photographs.

All Goodwill and District properties are monitored by video surveillance to protect the employees, students, guests, and property of Goodwill and the District.

Arrests and Convictions

An employee shall notify his or her Campus Administrator or immediate manager within three calendar days of any arrest, indictment, conviction, no contest or guilty plea, or other adjudication of the employee for any felony, any offense involving moral turpitude, and any of the other offenses as indicated below:

1. Crimes involving school property or funds; 2. Crimes involving attempt by fraudulent or unauthorized means to obtain or

alter any certificate or permit that would entitle any person to hold or obtain a position as an educator;

3. Crimes that occur wholly or in part on school property or at a school-sponsored activity; or

4. Other crimes, including crimes involving moral turpitude, which include the following:

a. Dishonesty; fraud; deceit; theft; misrepresentation;b. Deliberate violence;c. Base, vile, or depraved acts that are intended to arouse or gratify the

sexual desire of the actor;d. Felony possession or conspiracy to possess, or any misdemeanor or

felony transfer, sale, distribution, or conspiracy to transfer, sell, or distribute any controlled substances defined in Chapter 481 of the Health and Safety Code;

e. Acts involving public intoxication, use of controlled substances, or operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance; or

f. Acts constituting abuse or neglect under the Texas Family Code.

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Employee Dress Code

Employee dress should be neat, clean, and appropriate for a professional appearance. While shoes must be worn at all times, house shoes (e.g. slippers) and flip flops are not allowed. Denim jeans are allowed on Fridays so long as the jeans are free from holes and frays. If an employee is unsure of the appropriateness of a particular item of clothing, the employee should choose not to wear it. Additionally, because it is difficult to establish a specific dress standard, an Excel Center administrator may require an employee to change clothing into attire more appropriate for the school environment.

Exceptions to the dress code may be considered to make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008, or for an employee’s sincerely held religious belief.

All employees, contractors, volunteers, guests, and students are required to wear identification. All employees must wear their Excel Center Identification badge above the waist, where it is visible, while on The Excel Center premises.

Alcohol and Drug-Abuse Prevention

Drug-Free Workplace

The Excel Center is committed to maintaining an alcohol and drug-free environment and each employee is responsible for the maintenance of such an environment. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, possession, or use of a controlled substance (i.e. drugs) and/or the use of alcohol or tobacco in the workplace, or while conducting The Excel Center’s business, are strictly prohibited.

Additionally, an employee must notify The Excel Center of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace, or while conducting The Excel Center’s business, no later than five days after such conviction. A report of a conviction must be made to Human Resources.

Violation of this policy may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

The Excel Center may ask an employee to submit to a drug or alcohol test whenever it reasonably believes that the employee may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the work place in violation of this Drug-Free Workplace policy, including, but not limited to the following circumstances: evidence of drugs or alcohol on or about the employee’s person or in the employee’s vicinity; unusual, bizarre or erratic conduct that suggests the employee is impaired by, or under the influence of, drugs or alcohol; or an on-the-job accident or injury under circumstances that suggest the possible use or influence of drugs or alcohol in

the injury.

Nothing in this policy prohibits, or in any way limits, the lawful use of prescription or nonprescription drugs. However, an employee must inform his/her immediate supervisor if he/she is using a prescription or nonprescription drug which could impair work performance or pose a risk of harm to the employee, to others, or to property. It is the employee’s responsibility to determine from his or her physician(s) if the medication can impair work performance or pose such a risk. If the lawful use of lawful prescription or nonprescription drugs does limit or otherwise impair the employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of his or her position or otherwise creates a safety risk, the Human Resources Department will meet with the employee to determine whether a reasonable accommodation is available.

Tobacco Products and E-Cigarette Use

State law prohibits smoking, using tobacco products, or e-cigarettes on all district-owned property and at school-related or school-sanctioned activities, on or off school property. This includes all buildings, playground areas, parking facilities, and facilities used for athletics and other activities. Drivers of district-owned vehicles are prohibited from smoking, using tobacco products, or e- cigarettes while inside the vehicle. Notices stating that smoking is prohibited by law and punishable by a fine are displayed in prominent places in all school buildings.

Nepotism and Fraternization

It is our policy not to employ two or more members of the same immediate family (spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, or grandparents) or persons residing at the same address (roommates) who are:

Related employees or roommates working in the same division. Related employees or roommates working in the same department and have

the authority to make decisions affecting the work relationship, assignment, or compensation of the other employee.

A related employee or roommate coordinating, auditing, or monitoring the work of another individual related to or living with them.

Employees who are in administrative, management, or supervisory roles are prohibited from dating any employee over whom they have direct or indirect supervision. Also, individuals who work within the Human Resources Department are prohibited from dating any Excel Center employee.

If two employees are involved in a dating relationship, it will be presumed by The Excel Center that the relationship is welcomed by both parties unless one or the

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other notifies The Excel Center to the contrary. Public displays of affection and favoritism during work hours and school activities are prohibited.

Conduct that occurs during a disagreement or following a termination of the relationship must not violate The Excel Center’s harassment policy.

Violation of the Nepotism and Fraternization Policy, including non-disclosure of relationships as specified, is subject to the progressive discipline policy, up to and including termination.

Fraud and Financial Impropriety

All employees should act with integrity and diligence in duties involving the District’s financial resources. The District prohibits fraud and financial impropriety, as defined below. Fraud and financial impropriety includes the following:

Forgery or unauthorized alteration of any document or account belonging to the District

Forgery or unauthorized alteration of a check, bank draft, or any other financial document

Misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies, or other District assets, including employee time

Impropriety in the handling of money or reporting of District financial transactions

Profiteering as a result of insider knowledge of District information or activities

Unauthorized disclosure of confidential or proprietary information to outside parties

Unauthorized disclosure of investment activities engaged in or contemplated by the District

Accepting or seeking anything of material value from contractors, vendors, or other persons providing services or materials to the district, except as otherwise permitted by law or district policy

Inappropriately destroying, removing, or using records, furniture, fixtures, or equipment

Unauthorized disclosure of confidential or proprietary information to outside parties.

Failing to provide financial records required by federal, state, or local entities

Failure to disclose conflicts of interest as required by law or district policy Any other dishonest act regarding the finances of the District Failure to comply with requirements imposed by law, the awarding agency,

or a pass-through entity for state and federal awards.

Authority to Bind Contracts

Only the charter school board of directors, acting as a body corporate, has legal authority to bind the charter school to a financial or contractual obligation. Accordingly, no school employee is authorized to bind the charter school to any financial or contractual obligation unless the board of directors has expressly and explicitly delegated contracting authority to that employee through the adoption of board policy or through other formal board action.

Conflict of Interest

All employees and contractors are required to disclose in writing to the district any situation that creates a potential conflict of interest with proper discharge of assigned duties and responsibilities or creates a potential conflict of interest with the best interests of the District. This includes the following:

A personal financial interest A business interest Any other obligation or relationship Non-school employment

Gifts and Favors

Employees and contractors may not accept gifts or favors that could influence, or be construed to influence, the employee’s discharge of assigned duties. The acceptance of a gift, favor, or service by an administrator or teacher that might reasonably tend to influence the selection of textbooks, electronic textbooks, instructional materials or technological equipment may result in prosecution of a Class B misdemeanor offense. This does not include staff development, teacher training, or instructional materials, such as maps or worksheets, that convey information to students or contribute to the learning process.

Employees and contractors of the District may accept the following:

Gifts that are of nominal value given for the purpose of advertising, ceremonial occasions, or official events

Infrequent business meals of nominal value Infrequent entertainment or social invitations, provided the entertainment or

social invitation is not directed to the District or a select group of area school districts.

As used in this policy, nominal value is defined as $50 or less.

Employees may accept expense-paid trips that are part of the normal business activities of the District. Trips taken by employees must be approved in advance by the Superintendent. Trips, expenses, gifts, and awards related to the business of the District and paid for by the District may be accepted by the employee.

Copyrighted Materials

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Employees are expected to comply with the provisions of federal copyright law relating to the unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, performance, or display of copyrighted materials (i.e., printed material, videos, computer data and programs, etc.). Electronic media, including motion pictures and other audiovisual works, are to be used in the classroom for instructional purposes only. Duplication or backup of computer programs and data must be made within the provisions of the purchase agreement.

Instructional Materials

Employees are expected to be familiar with and to follow the criteria listed in the instructional materials that are purchased for use in the classroom or the campus library. Particular attention should be given to guidelines for reading assignments for an entire class. Employees should be cognizant of the appropriate steps and guiding principles an employee should follow if a request for reconsideration of an instructional material is made.

Employees are held accountable for materials and equipment that they check out for use in their classrooms and with students. If an employee transfers from one campus to another, or if an employee leaves the District, all instructional materials (library and textbooks), equipment, and computers belonging to the District should remain on the campus to which they are assigned.

Associations and Political Activities

The District will not directly or indirectly discourage employees from participating in political affairs or require any employee to join any group, club, committee, organization, or association. Employees may join or refuse to join any professional association or organization.

An individual’s employment will not be affected by membership or a decision not to be a member of any employee organization that exists for the purpose of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work. Use of District resources, including work time, for political activities is prohibited.

Charitable Contributions

The Board or any employee may not directly or indirectly require or coerce an employee to make a contribution to a charitable organization or in response to a fundraiser. Employees cannot be required to attend a meeting called for the purpose of soliciting charitable contributions. In addition, the Board or any employee may not directly or indirectly require or coerce an employee to refrain from making a contribution to a charitable organization or in response to a fundraiser or attending a meeting called for the purpose of soliciting charitable contributions.

Nursing Mothers in the Workplace

The Excel Center supports the practice of expressing breast milk and makes reasonable accommodations for the needs of employees who express breast milk. A location, other than a multiple user bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from other employees and the public where the employee can express milk will be provided.

A reasonable amount of break time will be provided when the employee has a need to express milk. For non-exempt employees, these breaks are unpaid and are not counted as hours worked. Employees should meet with their supervisor to discuss their needs and arrange break times.

Employee Use of The Exploration Center

The Exploration Center is the free, on-site, licensed child care facility for Excel Center students. Employees are prohibited from enrolling their children into The Exploration Center.

SAFETY

The District has developed and promotes a comprehensive program to ensure the safety of its employees, students, and visitors. The safety program includes guidelines and procedures for responding to emergencies and activities to help reduce the frequency of accidents and injuries. To prevent or minimize injuries to employees, coworkers, and students and to protect and conserve District equipment, employees must comply with the following requirements: Observe all safety rules and regulations Keep work areas clean and orderly at all times Know and follow all emergency procedures in case of building evacuation,

lockdown, or severe weather Immediately report all accidents to their manager Operate only equipment or machines for which they have training and

authorization Immediately report all hazardous conditions and unsafe acts to their

manager.

Employees with questions or concerns relating to safety programs and issues can contact the Director of Operations at 512-531-5515.

Suspicious Behavior

Employees are encouraged to report any suspicious behavior observed at school or at any school-related or school-sponsored activity. Strangers or former employees walking unaccompanied in areas not generally open to the public should be pointed out to a supervisor.

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Former Employees

Unless granted permission by a central office or campus administrator, former employees may not enter areas that are not open to the public after they are no longer employed by The Excel Center.

Violence in the Workplace

The Excel Center is committed to providing a safe workplace that is free from violence or threats of violence. Any and all acts of violence in the workplace are prohibited and subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. Additionally, any and all threats of violence, direct or indirect, serious or said in jest, are prohibited. All threats will be taken seriously and are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

Employees concerned about family violence being brought into the workplace or onto the workplace parking lot are encouraged to notify their director supervisor or the Human Resources Department.

Any employee who receives a protective or restraining order that lists The Excel Center as a protected area is required to provide their supervisor with a copy of the order and any information requested by The Excel Center to identify the individual subject to the order.

Weapons and Firearms Prohibited

Weapons: The Excel Center prohibits the use, possession, or display of any illegal knife, club or prohibited weapon on school premises (i.e., building or portion of a building) or any grounds or building where a school-sponsored activity takes place. This prohibition includes weapons in vehicles on school property.Firearms: The Excel Center prohibits the use, possession, or display of any illegal firearm on school premises (i.e., building or portion of a building) or any grounds or building where school-sponsored activity takes place. This can include grounds otherwise excluded from the definition of “premises” such as public or private driveways, streets, sidewalks or walkways, parking lots, parking garages, or parking areas.

Pursuant to Texas Penal Code Section 46.03, an employee commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Texas Penal Code Section 46.05(a), on the physical premises of a school or educational institution. It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the employee possessed a handgun and is licensed to carry a concealed handgun under the Texas

Government Code Chapter 411.

Firearms Exception: The Excel Center may not prohibit a person, including a school employee, who holds a license to carry a handgun under Government Code Chapter 411, from transporting or storing a handgun or other firearm or ammunition in a locked, privately owned or leased motor vehicle in a parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area provided by a charter school, provided that the handgun, firearm, or ammunition is not in plain view.

Visitors in the Workplace

All visitors (anyone who is not a District employee or current student) are expected to enter any District facility through the main entrance and sign in or report to the building’s main office. Authorized visitors will receive directions or be escorted to their destination. Employees who observe an unauthorized individual on the District premises should immediately direct him or her to the building office or contact the administrator in charge.

SEPARATION FROM EMPLOYMENT

Resignations

An employee is expected, but not required, to give as much advanced notice as possible regarding their resignation from The Excel Center. Typically, two weeks (10 business days) is considered sufficient notice time. The Excel Center requests that employees submit their resignation in writing to their supervisor; the writing should include the employee’s anticipated last work day.

The Excel Center reserves the right to require the employee to resign immediately rather than work during the notice period.

Termination

In order to reduce the risk of employee violence or vandalism, upon an employee’s discharge from employment, The Excel Center administration may request that an employee leave the facility immediately upon separation from employment. If accompanied by The Excel Center administrator, the employee will be permitted to gather his/her personal belongings before being escorted to the exit.

The exiting employee is prohibited from taking any The Excel Center property or information with him/her; the employee is not to retain a hard copy or soft copy of any The Excel Center information. The Excel Center reserves the right to examine any boxes, briefcases, or other receptacle of an employee to ensure these rules

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are being followed, prior to the employee exiting the premises.

An employee who has been discharged is not permitted to return to the premises of The Excel Center without prior written approval from the Human Resources Department or the principal of the school campus.

COBRA Notice

In accordance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), The Excel Center will provide notice to each employee who is separated from employment of the employee’s right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by the charter school’s group health plan. COBRA generally requires that group health plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage in certain instances.

Exit Interviews and Procedures

Exit interviews will be scheduled for all employees leaving the District with the employee’s manager, if possible. Separating employees are asked to provide the District with a forwarding address and telephone number and to complete a questionnaire that provides the District with feedback on their employment experience. All District keys, books, property including intellectual property, and equipment must be returned upon separation from employment.

Educator Misconduct & Investigation

The District Administrative Team will complete an investigation of any school employee, volunteer, or contractor, if there is reasonable cause, that the educator may have engaged in misconduct, regardless if the employee resigns his/her position prior to the completion of the investigation.

Employment, agreement, or contract with the District will be immediately terminated if there is reasonable evidence indicating misconduct.

Reports to the Texas Education Agency & State Board for Educator Certification

The discharge or resignation of any school employee will be reported to the TEA and SBEC when the Excel Administrative Team first learns about an alleged incident of conduct that involves the following:

A reported criminal history Any form of sexual or physical abuse of a minor or any other illegal conduct

with a student (regardless of the student's age) or minor

Soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student (regardless of the student's age) or minor

The possession, transfer, sale, or distribution of a controlled substance The illegal transfer, appropriation, or expenditure of school property or funds An attempt by fraudulent or unauthorized means to obtain or alter any

certificate or permit that would entitle the individual to a professional position or to receive additional compensation associated with a position

Committing a crime on school property or at a school-sponsored event Violating assessment instrument security procedures

The Principal must notify the Superintendent no later than the seventh business day after the date of an educator’s termination or the Principal knew about an educator’s criminal record.

The Superintendent is also required to notify TEA no later than the seventh business day after the date the Superintendent receives a report from a Principal or knew about an educator’s termination of employment or resignation or an employee’s criminal record.

The reporting requirements above are in addition to the Superintendent’s ongoing duty to notify TEA when a certified employee has reported criminal history. “Reported criminal history” means any formal criminal justice system charges and dispositions, including arrests, detentions, indictments, criminal information, convictions, deferred adjudications, and probations in any state or federal jurisdiction.

Reports Concerning Court-Ordered Withholding

The District is required to report the termination of employees that are under court order or writ of withholding for child support or spousal maintenance to the court and the individual receiving the support (Texas Family Code §8.210, 158.211). Notice of the following must be sent to the court and support recipient: Termination of employment not later than the seventh day after the date of

termination Employee’s last known address Name and address of the employee’s new employer, if known

GENERAL PROCEDURES

Get Connected

Text Messages

Goodwill – Text GCT ALL to 56512

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Excel – Text Yes to 67587 (complete after you have received your log-in credentials to Skyward)

Ultipro

Ultipro holds all HR related paperwork to you benefits. You can access UltiPro through a link on the home page of the Goodwill Central Texas intranets or go to http://n14.ultipro.com/login

Social Media

Find Goodwill and Excel on social media:

Goodwill Employee Facebook Group – http://www.facebook.com/groups/gictx Excel Center/GCTA Facebook Page –

https://www.facebook.com/AustinGoodwill?ref=share Excel Center/GCTA Twitter – https://twitter.com/GWExcelCenter Excel Center Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gwexcelcenteratx/ Excel Center Stargazer – Weekly Newsletter -

https://sites.google.com/goodwillexcel.org/stargazer/home

Corporate Communications & Donations

Goodwill Community Engagement is the authorized representative for Goodwill and District media communications and donation acceptance. Only specified employees may speak or accept donations on behalf of Goodwill Central Texas and the District. If a member of the media approaches you for information related to Goodwill or the District, refer them to the Community Engagement Department. If approached with a donation the employee should refer the person to their Manager or Community Engagement.

Emergency Closing and Delay

School Closure

The District may close schools because of bad weather or emergency conditions. When such conditions exist, the Superintendent will make the official decision concerning the closing of the District’s facilities. When it becomes necessary to close schools, open late, or to release students early, all local radio and television stations will be notified by school officials.

Delayed Start Procedures for Non-Exempt Staff

If Delayed Start Occurs on: Result:

Monday or Tuesday Required to make up time within the work week.

Wednesday – Friday Paid administrative leave will be granted

*Guidelines are subject to change based on other elements within the week including other inclement weather days, holidays, or other events. An official communication will be shared soon after the late start notification.

Emergencies

All employees should be familiar with the evacuation diagrams posted in their work areas. Fire, tornado, and other emergency drills will be conducted to familiarize employees and students with safety and evacuation procedures. Each campus is equipped with an automatic external defibrillator. Fire extinguishers are located throughout all District buildings.

Employees should know the location of these devices and how to use them. Elevator emergency procedures are located inside each elevator unit and in the campus office.

Records Management & Retention

Each individual employee who creates and maintains electronically stored information (ESI) , is responsible for determining the retention of the ESI and maintaining it in compliance with District, state, and federal records retention requirements.

In the event the ESI was not created by a District employee, then the employee who received the ESI or responded to the ESI, will be responsible for its retention and maintenance. The Information Technology Department will consider all email as administrative correspondence and will therefore maintain retention according to the state control schedule.

The individual who creates and maintains ESI or who received or responded to ESI may delete or erase the ESI when it is no longer required to be maintained in connection with a claim or pursuant to district, state, or federal records retention requirements.

Attendance & Grade Reporting

Accurate student attendance reporting is a critical component of running a school. Classroom teachers are expected to keep accurate and complete daily attendance records for the students in their rooms. Daily attendance must be submitted via Teacher Access on a daily basis before the teacher leaves at the end of the day. Optional Flexible School Day Program (OFSDP) attendance should be taken in real-time during each period. Course completion grade should

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be submitted in a timely manner according to procedure. Failure to submit attendance and/or course completion grades may result in disciplinary action up to, and including termination of employment.

School Finance

Purchasing

Public purchasing differs distinctly from private sector purchasing. Private businesses can purchase from any vendor, and their choice may be made on the basis of price, convenience, or on personal considerations. In sharp contrast, public entities such as a school district must conduct all of their dealings in the public eye and must adhere to strict legal guidelines.

As a public entity, our District must make its purchases within relevant statutes and policies. Although bound by these constraints, the District’s objective is to purchase the best products, materials, and services at the lowest practical prices.

The District’s policies and procedures, pertaining to purchasing are derived from state law. Statute and District policy requirements outline how school districts procure goods and services, the types of competitive processes that must be used, and the exceptions to these requirements.

The School Business Office’s centralized purchasing function that is responsible for purchasing all supplies, materials, and equipment, within the guidelines imposed on the District. The School Business Office issues all formal bid requests, facilitates selection of vendors, and negotiates and establishes bids and other contract terms and conditions, delivery, and adjustments. Utilization of a centralized purchasing process results in lower purchasing costs for the District.

All school expenses must be assessed according to the purchasing procedure. A purchase request must be submitted for approval prior to any purchases that will be allotted to the school's budget. This prior approval is in all cases, regardless of the method of payment. Failure to obtain prior approval may result in the following:

Employee is held financially responsible for any purchase made with a school card

Employee will not be reimbursed for any purchases made with personal funds Employee may lose future purchasing privileges Employees are expected to request and make purchases according to school

procedure. Failure to follow this procedure may result in disciplinary action leading up to, and including termination of employment.

Travel Expenses & Other Reimbursements

Travel Expense Reimbursements – Before an employee incurs travel expenses related to The Excel Center business, the employee must receive written approval from the employee’s direct supervisor. Mileage for the use of an employee’s personal car will be reimbursed at the then published IRS mileage reimbursement rate. Employees should select moderately priced lodging convenient to their destination to minimize time and expense. All expenses must be incurred within the specific guidelines or rules pertaining to grant funded travel expenses. Travel expenses from approved travel must be itemized and detailed on The Excel Center travel reimbursement form. To be reimbursed, all original receipts for travel expenses must be included with the reimbursement form and submitted to the employee’s supervisor.

Other Reimbursements – Unless specifically pre-approved in writing by the employee’s supervisor and the Charter Business Specialist, no employee will be reimbursed for any personal expense incurred for any work related expense such as professional development courses or for classroom supplies.

Meals & Incidentals Reimbursement

Upon return from work-related travel, employees must submit receipts for reimbursement. Below are the requirements for reimbursements:

Retain detailed receipts while traveling. Tax is not allowable; please take a copy of the tax exempt certificate when traveling. If gratuities are not automatically added to the receipt, then tips are also not allowable

It is preferred that purchased Alcohol be on a separate receipt, as it is a non-reimbursable item

Transportation from the airport to the hotel and returning to the airport is considered an incidental expense

Transportation between business locations is a travel expense and is turned in on a separate RFP

Within one (1) week of return, the following documents are due to the accounting department in an envelope:

All relevant receipts A copy of the conference schedule A copy of the completion certificate, if provided For non-conference travel, an itinerary of meetings and locations is submitted

All documents must be submitted to Accounting according to their procedure. The Accounting Department is not required to accept receipts turned in late.

Calculations of Per Diem

Excel follows the General Service Administration guidelines for the Per Diem

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rates. To calculate your Per Diem please follow the instructions below:

Go to the state comptroller’s website to obtain the correct rates; https://fmx.cpa.state.tx.us/fm/travel/travelrates.php

If your destination (city or county) is not listed specifically, the web page will give a maximum rate for the whole state. When grantor directly pays for lodging, a per diem for only meals and incidentals are allowed. Use the M&IE rate which is for “Meal and Incidental Expenses”. This is the maximum amount per day;

First and last day expenses are calculated at 75% of the full M&IE rate

Updated/Current Employee Information

Employees are required to regularly update: A change in home address or telephone number; A change in marital status or in the number of dependents; A change of insurance beneficiary; A change in the number of exemptions claimed for income tax purposes; The driving record or status of an employee’s driver’s license, if the

employee operates any Excel Center vehicles or operates his or her own vehicle for work-related duties, not including driving to and from work;

A legal change of name; The Public Information Act form indicating whether certain personal

information may be released to the public

Updates should be made by notifying the Charter Business Specialist.

Public Information Personnel Records

Most District records, including personnel records, are public information and must be released upon request. Employees may choose to have the following personal information withheld: Address Phone number, including personal cell phone number Emergency contact information Information that reveals whether they have family members Personal email address

The choice to not allow public access to this information may be done at any time by submitting a written request to the Human Resources Department. New or terminated employees have 14 days after hire or termination to submit a request. Otherwise, personal information will be released to the public.

Building Use

Employees who wish to use District facilities after school hours must meet with their manager for prior approval. Contact the Director of Operations at 512-531-5515 to request to use school facilities and to obtain information on the fees charged.

Driving List & Traffic Violations

All employees, who own or lease a car, and are required to drive on company business, must maintain current liability insurance that complies with the minimum coverage limits specified by the state of Texas. In addition to maintaining current liability insurance, all drivers on the Driving List must notify their Manager and the Human Resources Department within 24 hours of any traffic violation, vehicle speeding tickets, DWIs, accidents and/or change of status of their Driver’s License.

If an employee, during the course of The Excel Center’s business, receives a traffic violation, the employee will be personally liable for any expenses incurred from that violation. If, during the course of transporting a student(s), an employee receives a traffic violation, that employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

On an annual basis, Goodwill will run updated Motor Vehicle Reports on all employees who positions require a clean driving record. Additionally, any staff position who may transport Excel Center students for school-related purposes are required to review and sign the Goodwill Excel Center Staff Home Visit and Transportation Procedures and must be oriented on how to access & utilize the Driving Safety Kit.

Complaints & Grievances

Employees who have a complaint about their terms or conditions of work are encouraged to resolve their concerns informally with their co-workers and/or supervisors at the lowest level possible. If the employee is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal resolution, then the employee may file a formal complaint according to the procedures below.

Excluding a complaint against the Executive Director, each complaint must initially be brought at the lowest level of review, at the Campus Principal Review level. If the complaint is against the principal, then the complaint may be initially brought at the Executive Director level.

Campus Principal Review of Complaint

Where an employee has a complaint or concern regarding their terms or conditions of work, the individual shall first bring their complaint or concern in writing to the appropriate campus principal or to the employee’s direct supervisor

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if the employee does not work on a school campus. The complaint must be brought within 15 business days of the date that the complainant knew or should have known of the alleged harm. The complaint must be specific, and where possible suggest a resolution. The principal/supervisor must consider the complaint, attempt to remedy the complaint in the best interest of the affected parties, and document the outcome. The principal/supervisor must respond to the complainant and issue a final decision in writing within 10 business days of the principal’s/supervisor’s receipt of the complaint.

Superintendent Review of Complaint

If the complainant is not satisfied with the final decision of the campus principal/supervisor, then the individual may file a written appeal to the Superintendent. This written appeal shall be filed with the Superintendent’s office within 10 business days of the individual’s receipt of the final decision from the campus principal/supervisor. The complaint shall include a copy of the prior written complaint, along with a copy of the final decision of the campus principal/ supervisor. A copy of the appeal shall also be delivered to the campus principal/supervisor.

The appeal must be specific, and where possible suggestion a resolution. The complaint shall not include any new issues or complaints unrelated in the original complaint.

The Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s designee, shall respond to the complaint and issue a final decision in writing within 15 business days of receipt of the written appeal.

Board of Directors Review of Complaint

If the complainant is not satisfied with the Superintendent’s final decision, then the individual may appeal their complaint in writing to the Board of Directors within 10 school days of receiving the Superintendent’s final decision. The complaint shall be directed to the President of the Board, and shall include a copy of the written complaint to the Superintendent along with a copy of the Superintendent’s final decision. A copy of this appeal shall also be delivered to the Superintendent.

The President of the Board, at the next regular meeting of the Board, shall provide a copy of the complaint record to all board members. The Board’s decision shall be decided on a review of the record developed at the Superintendent’s level. Any action of the Board of Directors regarding the complaint shall be taken in compliance with the Texas Open Meeting Act.

Definition of “Business Day”

For purposes of this grievance policy, “school day” means any calendar day that the school’s central administrative office is open without regard to whether students are attending school.

STUDENT ISSUES

Equal Educational Opportunities

The Excel Center Charter District as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and/or age in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment decisions. Excel is required by Title VI and the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, as well as Board Policy not to discriminate in such a manner (not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).

Questions or concerns about discrimination of students on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability should be directed to the HR Department.

Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools. Student records are confidential and are protected from unauthorized inspection or use. Employees should take precautions to maintain the confidentiality of all student records.

The following people are the only people who have general access to a student's records:

Parents married, separated, or divorced unless parental rights have been legally terminated, and the school has been given a copy of the court order terminating parental rights.

The students (if 18 or older or emancipated by a court) School officials with legitimate educational interests

The Student Handbook and Code of Conduct provides parents and students with detailed information on student records. Parents or students who want to review student records should be directed to the Campus Registrar for assistance.

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Parent & Student Complaints

The District strives to hear and resolve parent and student complaints in a timely manner and at the lowest administrative level possible. Information regarding the process of filing a complaint can be found in the Student Handbook.

Parents and students are encouraged to discuss problems or complaints with the teacher, life coach, or school administrator at any time. Parents and students with complaints that cannot be resolved should be directed to a School Administrator. The formal complaint process provides parents and student with the opportunity to be heard up to the Board if they are dissatisfied with the School Administrator's response.

Administration of Medication to Students

The administration of medication to students must be done in accordance with The Excel Center’s Board policy. All employees, agents, and volunteers are prohibited from administering any medication to a student unless expressly authorized by The Excel Center. Exceptions apply to the self- administration of asthma medication, medication for anaphylaxis (e.g., EpiPen), and medication for diabetes management, if the medication is self-administered in accordance with District policy and procedures. A student under the age of 18, who must take any other medication during the school day must bring a written request from his or her parent and the medicine, in its original, properly labeled container. Students age 18 and up must have a copy of their prescription or a medical note and ensure that they keep the medication secure, on their person, and only care the necessary doses. Contact the Campus Administrator for information on procedures that must be followed when administering medication to students.

Dietary Supplements

District employees are prohibited by state law from knowingly selling, marketing, or distributing a dietary supplement that contains performance-enhancing compounds to a student with whom the employee has contact as part of his or her school district duties. In addition, employees may not knowingly endorse or suggest the ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation of a performance-enhancing dietary supplement to any student.

Psychotropic Drugs

A psychotropic drug is a substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication. It is intended to have an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior and is commonly described as a mood- or behavior- altering substance. District employees are prohibited by state law from doing the following: Recommending that a student use a psychotropic drug Suggesting a particular diagnosis

Excluding from class or school-related activity a student who refuses (or a minor student whose legal guardian refuses) to consent to a psychiatric evaluation or to authorize the administration of a psychotropic drug to a student.

Student Conduct & Discipline

Students are expected to follow the classroom rules, school rules, and rules listed in the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct. Teachers, contracted staff, school staff and School Administrators are responsible for taking disciplinary action based on a range of disciplinary management procedures that have been adopted by the Board. Other employees that have concerns about a particular student's conduct should contact the classroom teacher or School Administrator.

Bullying

Employees and contractors are required to report student complaints of bullying to the campus administrator. Bullying is not tolerated and retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is prohibited. A report and investigation should be made according to the procedures below.

Report of Bullying

Any employee or contractor who suspects or receives notice that a student or group of student has or may have experiences bullying will immediately notify the campus administrator via verbal report and an emailed report. Any report of bullying involving a student under the age of 18 must involve the notification of the student’s parent/guardian.

Investigation of Bullying

The campus administrator will determine if the allegations in the report, if proven, constitute prohibited conduct that falls within harassment and/or discrimination or bullying. Action may be taken during the course of the investigation to prevent any further bullying. The investigation should be completed within 10 business days from the date of the initial report. Once the investigation has been concluded the campus administrator will prepare a final, written report that includes a determination of whether bullying occurred. A copy of the report shall become part of the student’s discipline record. If the investigation determines that bullying occurred, the campus administrator will take appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

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APPENDIX 1

Policies & Procedures

District Policies can be accessed here: J:/Policies & Procedures

Student Handbook and Code of Conduct

The student handbook and code of conduct is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. It can be found here: https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/uploads/files/general_files/Student_Handbook_2016-17.pdf

School Guide

The school guide has a wealth of information and is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. It can be found here: https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/uploads/files/general_files/Excel_School_Guide.pdf

APPENDIX 2

Acknowledgement of Receipt

The information contained in this employee handbook is important and I should consult with my supervisor if I have a question that is not answered in this handbook.

I acknowledge that The Excel Center employee handbook does not create an employment contract or otherwise modify my at-will employment status. I understand that no one has the authority to alter my at-will employment status, or to guarantee my employment for a specific period of time, unless it is approved by the board of directors, in writing, and signed by both myself and the chair of the board of directors.

I understand that The Excel Center may amend or withdraw any or all portions of this handbook at any time. I understand that it is my responsibility to comply with the board policies and provisions in this handbook, including any revisions, and that failure to comply may lead to disciplinary action. I further acknowledge that any revised information may supersede, modify, or eliminate existing provisions within this handbook. By remaining employed by The Excel Center following any modifications to this handbook, I thereby accept and agree to such changes.

I acknowledge that I have read this handbook and agree to read any amendments of the handbook. Specifically, by signing this form, I acknowledge

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that I have read, understood, and agree to comply with all policies in this handbook, including but not limited to, the Harassment Policy, the Overtime and Timekeeping Policy, and the Violence in the Workplace Policy. I understand that the Handbook and any material contained therein is confidential and, as such, may not be distributed in any way or discussed with anyone who is not an employee or contractor of The Excel Center Charter School District.

I hereby sign and date this Acknowledgement of Receipt and return it to my supervisor. I understand that a copy of my signed form will be retained in my personnel file.

Name: __________________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________________

Media Use

The Excel Center Charter School District often uses school activities to highlight the great work we are doing. This often involves the use of photos and/or videos. This media may appear in various District or Goodwill materials, including the website, newsletters, brochures, and other outreach materials. If you wish to opt-out of the use of your image in these materials, please initial below:

___ I do not give The Excel Center Charter School District or Goodwill Industries of Central Texas permission to take photographs or video.

Name: __________________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________ Date: ____________________________