Gov. Laura Kelly has extended the stay at home order for Kansas to May 3 at midnight. The previous order was expected to expire on Sunday, April 19 but new data showed the growing number of coronavirus cases in the state is not expected to peak until between April 19 and April 30. When asked when she thought Kansas would return to normal, the governor said the state is working hard to figure out how to re-open safely and effectively.

In the coming days, information about continuous learning for students and continuation of work for staff for the remainder of their duty days will be released. We thank you in advance for understanding that the preparation and execution of these plans takes time in order to be effective.

While our physical school buildings will be closed in accordance with Governor Kelly’s mandate, that does not mean that our work of educating and providing care for our students stops. Staff can expect more information about alternative work arrangements from their supervisors in the days ahead.

Certified, contracted staff who were regularly scheduled to be on duty through the end of the school year will be paid on our regular pay cycle.

Contracted administrators who were regularly scheduled to be on duty through the end of the school year will be paid on our regular pay cycle.

Classified staff who had a permanent work assignment and were scheduled to be on duty through the end of the school year will be paid and should expect their regular pay cycle to continue. This applies to staff who are full-time and part-time, whether they are paid hourly or salary.

Substitute staff of any category (teachers, paras, teacher assistants or secretaries) who were serving in a long-term assignment on March 12, 2020 and were scheduled to resume work in that same assignment on March 23, 2020 will be paid for any duty days worked prior to March 16, 2020 on the March 31, 2020 payroll.

In addition, these substitutes will continue to be paid in alignment with payroll timelines for the duty days they were scheduled to work in that same assignment through the end of the school year. Identified staff will be contacted via phone and/or email by a member of the Substitute Staffing Team to discuss more information in detail.

Substitute staff of any category (teachers, paras, teacher assistants or secretaries) who were not serving in a long-term assignment will be paid for any duty days worked prior to March 16, 2020 on the March 31, 2020 payroll but will not be paid for any duty days forward.

We value our substitute staff, and the dedication you’ve shown to our students and school community. As we are working through our continuous learning plan, there will be many factors to consider. Once our plan is finalized, we may find that substitute services will still be required and we will notify substitutes of opportunities for continued employment as they arise. 

Yes. For staff who were scheduled to work a supplemental activity through the end of the school year, including but not limited to those listed in the teacher’s negotiated agreement (i.e.- coaching, activities, sponsorships, tutoring, etc.), the regularly scheduled pay cycle will continue. If you have specific questions about your assignment, please direct those to your immediate supervisor or athletic director.

As we work through the continuous learning plan, you can expect more information about alternative work arrangements from your supervisor in the days ahead. We thank you in advance for understanding that the preparation and execution of these plans for 4000+ employees takes time in order to be effective.

No, there is no additional action in CIS at this time that you or your supervisor needs to take to ensure you are paid for time you were regularly scheduled to work.

As noted in the CIS Update email from Payroll, staff who are working in any capacity should be logging their time in CIS to ensure compliance with FLSA.  To facilitate staff being able to accurately record their time and avoid corrective action, supervisors will make every effort to ensure that staff are working in blocks of time or on a scheduled shift versus frequent interval periods throughout the day as staff can only make a maximum of THREE edits to their time per day. Those permissible edits are:

1. Clock in or clock out for the day
2. Clock out and clock back in for a lunch period
3. Clock out and clock back in for a break period

In the coming days, information about continuation of services for students and impacts to staff duty days will be released. We thank you in advance for understanding that the preparation and execution of these plans take time in order to be effective.

Every effort will be made to deliver timely and accurate information via official district information channels. This includes, but is not limited to: text messages, phone calls, district email, social media platforms and news media

Yes. The Transfer Window is now open and applications for transfer will be accepted through April 10, 2020.

In light of the district decision to close for Spring Break, all leave entries will be deleted and scheduled leave will be returned to staff balances.

You can log in to your Frontline Absence Account from anywhere you have internet access, review the “Scheduled Absence” tab in the middle of the screen and select the red “Delete” button.

No. There has been no change to how the district front loads all leave balances to benefits eligible employees at the time of hire, or at the open of the new fiscal year. All leave balances are current and viewable by staff from Frontline Absence Management (formerly, Aesop).

We ask that you please send any requests for information or any questions to HRleave@kckps.org. Please include your name, employee ID, and a detailed description of your questions or needs. Emails are answered in the order received.

At this time, Central Office is closed to the public. As an interim measure to ensure these notices can still be submitted by staff in a timely manner, you may email your KCKPS Return to Work Release Form to HRleave@kckps.org. Emails are answered in the order received

We are reviewing all emailed Return to Work Release Forms for staff on leave as quickly as possible in the order received. After review of your form, if you are approved to return to work, you and your supervisor will receive an email confirmation from HR. Until this email is received, you are not yet cleared to report for work.

All requests for employment verification should be sent directly to verifications@kckps.org.  At this time, no verbal or faxed verifications can be processed.

Benefits questions are best answered by the carriers individually. To support that communication, if necessary, you’ll find the contact information below:

You should direct benefits related questions to benefits@kckps.org. Email will be answered in the order received.

Yes. KCKPS offers multiple solutions to support employees in managing concerns of this nature. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free resource for staff to speak confidentially with a provider and more information can be found on the New Directions Website. Similar to a “teledoc” or “telemedicine” service, the Blue KC Virtual Care program is a resource for staff to speak confidentially with a virtual care provider. In some cases, a co-pay* for services rendered is assessed. More information can be found on the Blue KC Virtual Care Flyer.
*Due to recent events, Blue KC Virtual Care is temporarily waiving co-pays for this service.

Yes. KCKPS partners with the Blue KC Virtual Care program as a resource for staff to speak confidentially with a virtual care provider from anywhere they have internet access. In some cases, a co-pay* for services rendered is assessed. More information can be found on the Blue KC Virtual Care Flyer.
*Due to recent events, Blue KC Virtual Care is temporarily waiving co-pays for this service.

Yes. From the app store of your mobile device, you can search for “New Directions EAP” to access free services of The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and you can search for “Blue KC Virtual Care” to access a virtual care provider. Due to recent events, Blue KC Virtual Care is temporarily waiving co-pays for this service.

Employees should contact HR via email at HRleave@kckps.org to discuss leave options.

• Non-Pandemic Related Illness
  If an employee becomes ill, or is caring for an immediate family member who is ill, with documented symptoms or a condition unrelated to a pandemic illness, board policy GARH applies.
  
• Symptoms of Pandemic Illness – Self Quarantine
  Per the CDC, KDHE or local health department, if an employee has recently traveled to a compromised region, if the employee becomes ill, or is caring for an immediate family member who is ill, with documented symptoms of a pandemic illness, the employee shall be granted paid administrative leave for any duty days that fall within a 14 calendar day period. Following the 14 day calendar time period, if an employee is unable to return to duty because they or their family member is not yet free of fever and symptoms for over 24 hours without the use of medication, the employee should contact Human Resources at HRleave@kckps.org to request additional paid time.
  
• Diagnosed Pandemic Illness or Exposure – Mandatory Quarantine
  If an employee is notified by a health care provider or travel authority that they are required to quarantine due to having traveled through a compromised region, have tested positive for a pandemic illness, or have had an immediate family member test positive for a pandemic illness, the employee shall be granted paid administrative leave for the duration of the quarantine period. Following that time period, if an employee is unable to return to duty or feels they should self-quarantine due to exposure, any subsequent leave will be charged to the employee’s available accrued compensatory time, or available vacation, personal or disability leave.

No, the paid leave provisions outlined in the leave question above will still apply. The district is offering this as an added benefit for staff to take precautionary measures to protect themselves, and the school community as a whole, by limiting the risk of exposing others to their illness.

No. Employees should seek the guidance of a health care provider and take whatever action they feel is necessary based on that guidance.

If you are absent due to a pandemic illness or exposure, we are waiving the requirement to provide doctor’s notes due to the visit demands on our healthcare partners at this time. For all other absences unrelated to a pandemic illness, doctor’s notes may be required.

We ask that staff immediately take all precautionary measures as advised by health department and inform the district by completing the COVID-19 Form on Staff Links.

Employees can email contactHR@kckps.org with questions and a member of our team will ensure your question is routed to the appropriate person. Staff may also call the main HR line at 913-279-2262 for telephone-based assistance beginning March 30, 2020. While we welcome calls from our colleagues and look forward to supporting you during this time of transition, please note that questions received by phone which are already addressed in this FAQ will be answered with the FAQ information listed above.