§ 17:500 — Sick leave for school bus operators; minimum pay for substitute

§500. Sick leave for school bus operators; minimum pay for substitute
A. The term "school bus operator", as used in this Section, shall mean any individual
who operates a school bus transporting children under the supervision of the public school
system of the state of Louisiana.
B.(1) All school bus operators employed by the parish and the city school boards of
this state shall be entitled to and shall be allowed a minimum of ten days absence per school
year because of personal illness or because of other emergencies or special circumstances,
without loss of pay. Such sick leave when not used in any year shall be accumulated to the
credit of the school bus operator without limitation. When a school bus operator is absent for
six or more consecutive days because of personal illness, the school bus operator shall be
required to present a certificate from a clinician certifying such illness. As used in this
Subpart, "clinician" means a physician, physician assistant providing healthcare services in
accordance with R.S. 37:1360.28, or an advanced practice registered nurse providing
healthcare services in accordance with R.S. 37:913. The parish and city school boards are
authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary relative to the use of such sick
leave, either current or accumulated, for emergencies or special circumstances. The parish
and city school boards may grant additional sick leave, without loss of pay, or with such
reduction of pay as they may establish and fix.
(2) The minimum of ten days of sick leave provided in this Subsection shall be
allowed based on a school bus operator beginning work at the beginning of a school year.
In the case of a school bus operator who begins work in the first month of a school year, ten
days shall be allowed; in the case of a school bus operator who begins work in the second
month of a school year, nine days shall be allowed; in the case of a school bus operator who
begins work in the third month of a school year, eight days shall be allowed; in the case of
a school bus operator who begins work in the fourth month of a school year, seven days shall
be allowed; in the case of a school bus operator who begins work in the fifth month of a
school year, six days shall be allowed; in the case of a school bus operator who begins work
in the sixth month of a school year, five days shall be allowed; in the case of a school bus
operator who begins work in the seventh month of a school year, four days shall be allowed;
and, in the case of a school bus operator who begins work in the eighth month or thereafter
of a school year, three days shall be allowed.
(3) Upon the retirement of any school bus operator, or upon his death prior to
retirement, his employer shall pay to such school bus operator, or to his heirs or assigns, sick
leave which has accrued to such school bus operator, but which remains unused at the time
of his retirement or at the time of his death if prior to retirement, not to exceed twenty-five
days of such unused sick leave. Such pay shall be at the rate of pay received by the school
bus operator at the time of retirement or death prior to retirement; provided that any parish
or city school board may pay such unused sick leave beyond twenty-five days at its
discretion.
C.(1) Each substitute school bus operator, substituting for a regular school bus
operator who is on sick or emergency leave, shall be paid by the employing school board a
daily sum for each day's actual operation of the bus, which shall be not less than sixty-five
percent of the daily rate of pay being paid the regular bus operator, to be computed by
dividing the annual pay of the regular operator by the number of school days in the regularly
scheduled session, exclusive of any compensation or mileage allowance for use of a privately
owned bus.
(2)(a) The provisions of this Subsection for the compensation of a substitute school
bus operator are applicable and may be used only when the regular operator is on leave and
is expected to return to his route.
(b)(i) Whenever a vacancy occurs on a route due to death, resignation, retirement,
or the expiration of the regular operator's approved leave or a new route is established, the
route shall be filled with a regular school bus operator as provided in R.S. 17:493.1 no later
than the following school year unless the route is consolidated or eliminated.
(ii) A substitute bus operator may only be used as a temporary measure until a
permanent operator can be appointed to a route. A substitute operator may not drive a route
for a period that exceeds the end of the school year during which the operator began driving
the route. The vacant route shall be filled in accordance with R.S. 17:493.1.
(c) If an operator is on approved leave, his route shall not be considered a vacant
route. A substitute shall be used to drive a route for an operator on approved leave regardless
of the length of time of the approved leave.

Legislative History

Acts 1954, No. 146, §§1, 2; Acts 1958, No. 398, §1; Acts 1960, No. 255, §2; Acts 1970, No. 646, §1; Acts 1984, No. 129, §1; Acts 1985, No. 369, §1; Acts 1990, No. 1077, §1; Acts 1993, No. 826, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 948, §1; Acts 1999, No. 663, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 34, §1, eff. Oct. 28, 2020; Acts 2022, No. 648, §1; Acts 2023, No. 296, §1.