D. The Union will be permitted to participate with the District in determining how to conduct the lottery
system by which the order of the disbursement of such funds is determined. However, the District will
retain the ability to make the final determination as to how the lottery system is conducted.
E. Bargaining Unit members who require specific professional learning/certification to perform their jobs
with the district may apply to the Assistant Superintendent to use Course Tuition Reimbursement for
the purpose of attending professional development related to such professional learning/certification.
The Assistant Superintendent will retain discretion to determine whether to approve any such
application. In no case will Course Tuition Reimbursement for professional development under this
section be permitted to exceed $500.00 per person per contract year. Course Tuition Reimbursement
will count toward the total cap of $225,000.00 set forth in 5:8A. This article shall not be subject to the
arbitration clause of the Grievance Procedure as outline in Article 3.
F. In the event that a teacher is unable to enroll in the intended course and wishes to enroll in_another
course, the teacher shall notify the Superintendent in writing. The Superintendent will have ten (10)
school days from the date the notice is received in the Superintendent's office to review the grant of
approval for reimbursement. If no action is taken by the Superintendent within ten (10) school days of
the receipt of notification the course shall be reimbursed as above.
G. A teacher who is enrolled in courses required for the teacher's certification in a critical shortage area as
determined by the District in its sole discretion shall be reimbursed for 80% of the cost of tuition. The
same rate of reimbursement will be paid to teachers currently teaching in the critical shortage area in
the District, and who enroll in courses which in the District's sole discretion will enable such teachers to
become better qualified to teach in the critical shortage area in which they currently are teaching. Said
teachers must receive the prior written approval of the Superintendent for enrollment in said courses to
be eligible for reimbursement. For teachers seeking certification in a critical shortage area, the benefits
contained under this Article 5:8E shall terminate upon certification, or after three years from the date of
initial enrollment whichever occurs first. For teachers currently teaching in the critical shortage area
who enroll in courses to become better qualified, the benefits contained in this Article 5:8E shall
terminate at the conclusion of the course(s) for which benefits are granted.
H. A teacher who is laid off and who enrolls in a program or course for the purpose of retraining, provided
said teacher has received the prior written approval of the Superintendent for enrollment in said
program or course, shall be reimbursed for 80% of the cost of tuition. A teacher who is laid off and who
enrolls in courses required for the teacher's certification in a critical shortage area as determined by the
District in its sole discretion shall be reimbursed for 80% of the cost of tuition. Said teacher must
receive the prior written approval of the Superintendent for enrollment in said courses to be eligible for
reimbursement. A teacher's entitlement to the benefits contained in this Article 5:8F shall commence
at the conclusion of the school year during which the teacher is notified of his/her layoff for the ensuing
school year and shall remain valid until the expiration of a two-year period thereafter, or until the
teacher accepts a full-time position within or outside the District regardless of its nature, or upon
certification, whichever occurs first.
|. Tuition reimbursement for Title | and part-time teachers shall be prorated according the following: The
applicable tuition rate times the teacher's regularly scheduled work day/work year divided by the
scheduled work day/work year of a full-time teacher on their grade level (i.e., elementary or secondary).
J. Due to changes in the Massachusetts State University System’s billing procedures which breaks down
what had been previously designated as tuition into tuition and certain other fees, the parties mutually
agree that for the purpose of determining “tuition” as contained in this article, “tuition” for
Massachusetts State University System schools will be deemed to include 1) what is specifically
identified as tuition and 2) what is variously identified as “college fee’, “operating fee’,
“academic/curriculum fee’, “local tuition fee ”, “college service fee’, “general college fee’, “general
purpose fee’, “educational services fee”, “general education fee”, “one fee concept’, “emergency fee”,
“general fee”, “campus support fee’, “all college fee’, or “merged fees”.
5.9 Disability Insurance
The District shall make available long-term disability insurance to teachers who may purchase at
their own expense.
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