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If the RCSD is closed due to COVID-19 will teachers still get paid?

Yes, if you are a contracted teacher, you will be paid. This has been confirmed by the District and is outlined in our contract (section 41-10.a.2):

(2) Absence caused by quarantine established by the Health
Department, in all such cases the nature of the quarantine served by the Health Department must be submitted with the application for exemption, and satisfactory proof of the beginning and the close of the quarantine period must be furnished. This exemption does not apply to personal quarantine which shall be considered a personal illness and which will be covered as a Class A Absence.

If someone tests positive for COVID-19 does the entire RCSD need to close? 

No. If the person has only interacted in one building or location, then only that building is required to close for 24 hours following the positive test in order to conduct comprehensive cleaning. 

Can a member insist on wearing a surgical mask to work? 

If the member has a specific, high-risk rationale it should be discussed with the RCSD on a case-by-case basis. 

If I become infected at work, am I covered under Worker’s Compensation? 

Yes. Last week guidance was issued indicating that as a general rule, an employee who contracts COVID-19 from a co-worker should be able to claim it as a covered event in many circumstances.  The District would not decide this as it would be a Worker’s Comp claim and go through that process.

Can the District cancel a scheduled vacation break to make up for a school closure? 

Yes, but the chance of that is very slim with the Spring Recess being only weeks away. The District has not yet discussed this as a possibility. 

If a school or District closes are members eligible for Unemployment? 

Possibly, depending on the type of employee and the length of the closure. A 10-month, salaried employee hired under education law, such as a teacher cannot have a reduction in salary if school is closed so those employees are not eligible for unemployment.

However, an hourly or daily employee may be eligible for Unemployment compensation if the District is not paying them during the closure, as such action constitutes a furlough, if the cessation of work is at least one week.