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All full-time employees who receive a written or verbal contract for the next school year in Dorchester School District Two are not eligible for summer unemployment benefits.  For your information, a copy of the law is cited below.

Pursuant to Title 41-35-20:

• Benefits based on service in an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity in an institution of higher education as defined in Title 41-27-290 or educational institution as defined in Title 41-27-340 must not be paid to an individual for any week of unemployment which begins during the period between two successive academic years, or during a similar period between two regular terms, whether or not successive, or during a period of paid sabbatical leave provided for in the individual’s contract, if the individual will perform services in this capacity for both these academic years or both these terms.
• With respect to services performed after December 31, 1977, in any other capacity for an educational institution or institution of higher education, irrespective of whether the institution is a public, private, or nonprofit organization, benefits are not payable on the basis of these services to any individual for any week which commences during a period between two successive academic years or terms if the individual performs these services in the first of those academic years or terms. However, if compensation is denied to any individual under this subsection, and the individual was not offered an opportunity to perform these services for the educational institution or institution of higher education for the second of these academic years or terms, the individual is entitled to a retroactive payment of compensation for each week for which the individual filed a timely claim for compensation and for which compensation was denied solely by reason of this subsection.

Regarding Benefits
Employees leaving the district and not transferring to another state agency will be terminated from state insurance effective the first of the month following their last day worked.  Your insurance will be terminated effective June 1 of the year that you leave.  Deductions for your insurance will cease the end of April(April pays for May).  

Employees transferring to another school district will be carried through the summer months if they are transferring to another academic setting with a participating entity and cannot work because school is not in session.  You must notify our district of intent to transfer.

If you have questions regarding benefits, contact your benefits specialist. Visit our Benefits page

Regarding Payroll
If you are moving, it is important that you give us your forwarding address as your W-2 will be mailed to you next January. Your last paycheck will be July 30.  

Regarding Sick Leave Days
If you are going to work for a state agency or another public school, you can transfer your sick leave days.  You would need to contact your payroll specialist, have your days verified and sent to your new place of employment.

Certified Personnel Extra Duty
Policy GCMD

Fair Labor Standards Act
Policy GDBC-R

Federal/State Labor and Safety Laws: 
Employees of Dorchester School District Two and visitors to the District shall adhere to and uphold all Federal and State Labor and Safety Laws.  All employees are responsible for reading these laws and guidelines which are posted on a dedicated bulletin board at each school and/or job site.

Grievance Procedures
Policy GBK 
Policy GBK-R

Personnel File
Each contracted employee in the district has a personnel file which is maintained in the district’s Personnel Office.  This file is established upon employment and contains the following items:

• Original completed employment packet
• Tuberculosis test results
• I-9 Form
• Copies of all district evaluations
• Any letters of reprimand/commendation from supervisors

All information in an employee’s personnel file is deemed confidential and is designed for the district’s sole use with the exception of Court Subpoenas.  Items sent directly by employees are not accepted or placed in the file.  Only those items which pertain to the performance status of an employee are accepted. 

All employees should be aware of the contents of their personnel file. Each employee has the right to review his/her personnel file.  Employees must request an appointment to schedule a time for review. The review will take place in the presence of the Director of Personnel or the Assistant Director of Personnel Services.

Professional Personnel Reduction in Force
Policy GCQA
Policy GCQB-RA

Resignation of Instructional Staff/Administrative Staff
Any professional staff member who wants to cancel or terminate a contract must state his/her desire in writing to the superintendent.  The district is under no obligation to release an employee from a contract except as set out below.  For such resignation to be effective, it must be accepted in writing by the superintendent.

When the superintendent does not accept a resignation and the employee fails to continue to perform his/her contractual duties, the superintendent will report such breach to the State Board of Education and request that appropriate action be taken against the employee for failure to comply with contractual obligations.  Both state law and State Board of Education regulation provide for suspension or revocation of the professional certificate under such circumstances.

Contract Releases
The board will not release an employee from his/her contract after July 1 except under one of the following conditions:

• Circumstances beyond the employee’s control (ex., military/business transfer of spouse)
• Serious illness of employee
• Promotion  

The employee must submit a request for contract release in writing to the superintendent 30 days prior to the deadline set forth above.

The district reserves the right not to release the employee if written notice is not given before the date specified above or a suitable replacement has not been found. Until an employee has been formally released from his/her contract, the district expects the employee to report for duty on the first day of the contract or to continue to report for duty if the request for release is made mid-year.

If a teacher signs a new contract without having been properly released from a previous contract, the new contract is considered to be void.    

Discipline, Suspension, and Dismissal of Professional Staff
It is the responsibility of the school administration to operate the public schools of the district in a manner that will maintain a broad community confidence in and support of the public schools of the district. In the absence of such support, the district cannot maintain a strong, effective public education program.

Therefore, it is the policy of the board to remove from employment any professional staff member who fails or who may be incompetent to give instruction in accordance with the directions of the superintendent or who otherwise manifests an evident unfitness for teaching. Principals should be actively involved in this process for their schools.

Any action of the district under this policy will be taken pursuant to the provisions of the Teacher Employment and Dismissal Act, Section 59-25-410, et. seq., Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended. (The Teacher Employment and Dismissal Act does not apply to teachers on induction or annual contracts.)

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