Employee Benefits & Resources

Bulloch County Schools offers competitive salaries for its teaching and non-teaching jobs. Employees are paid monthly on the last weekday of the month.

• Competitive State Salary Scales. View current pay scales here. Certified employees are educators and degreed professionals who hold educator certifications through Georgia's Professional Standards Commission. Non-certified employees are support professionals who work within the school district.
• A variety of local salary supplement options are available within the school district that offer additional earning potential: Summer school personnel, athletic teams and event personnel, club and class advisors, department and grade-level chairmanships, after-school program personnel

Bulloch County Schools provides the following:

• Paid sick, personal and vacation leave. Paid sick leave and personal leave can be accumulated to be applied toward years of retirement.
• Paid national holidays for Labor Day, Memorial Day, 3 to 5 days for Thanksgiving, and 10 days for the winter holiday season, depending on if you are a 10, 10.5, or 11-month employee or a 12-month employees.
• Paid, week-long paid breaks in October, February, & April for 10, 10.5 and 11-month employees
• Paid professional development leave to attend opportunities both in and out of the school district in order to encourage continuous learning
• A voluntary employee sick leave bank which assists approved employees who have exhausted their paid sick leave

Purpose of the Sick Leave Bank

The Bulloch County Board of Education's Sick Leave Bank for eligible employees provides its members with sick leave after their own sick leave has been exhausted due to extenuating circumstances. Employees who elect to become members are required to contribute part (one day) of their accumulated sick leave to the bank. Members may withdraw sick leave from the Sick Bank only in accordance with the guidelines established by the Sick Leave Bank Committee of Trustees.

Administration of the Sick Leave Bank

The Sick Leave Bank shall be administered by a Committee of Trustees which consists of the director of Human Resources, one member of the employee benefits department, one principal, three certificated employees, and one classified employee. The committee members shall be appointed by the Superintendent and shall serve staggered terms of three years. Terms of initial committee members shall be determined by the Superintendent. Decisions of the committee must reflect a majority vote of the entire Committee of Trustees. The committee shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. The payroll officer to the Superintendent shall serve as secretary, but will not be a voting member of the committee. A group of five Trustees must be present in order to conduct the official business of the Committee of Trustees. The Trustees have responsibility for receiving, verifying and approving or denying requests for Sick Leave Bank withdrawals.
 

Membership in the Sick Bank

Membership and participation in the Sick Leave Bank is voluntary. The Bulloch County Board of Education requires employees who wish to join the Sick Leave Bank to waive their right to use Policy GAE to challenge a decision of the Board of Trustees as a condition for participating in the Bank.

Any full time employee who is entitled to sick leave in the Bulloch County School System may become a member of the Sick Leave Bank by donating one day of the employee's accumulated sick leave during an annual open enrollment period, September 1, through November 1, each year. Membership requests will be accepted only during the annual enrollment period. The Sick Leave Bank Donation Form must be used for this purpose.

New employees of the school system become eligible for membership in the second year of their employment and must have accumulated a minimum of ten (10) sick leave days at the end of this one-year employment period. For the purpose of membership, a "new employee" is hereby defined as an employee contracted for employment on or
after July 1, 2005. Membership in the Sick Leave Bank continues from year to year unless written notice of withdrawal of membership is received by the Trustees during the annual open enrollment period, September 1, to November 1, of a year subsequent to the year of enrollment.

Donation of Sick Leave

The Committee of Trustees determines when the Sick Leave Bank needs to be replenished.  At such time, all members of the Sick Leave Bank will be required to deposit additional sick leave in an amount specified by the Trustees. If a member has no accumulated sick leave at the time of the assessment, the first earned day will be donated. Donations of sick leave to the Sick Leave Bank are not refundable or transferable.
 

Eligibility for Sick Leave Bank Withdrawals

A member of the Sick Leave Bank may apply for withdrawal of sick leave from the Bank provided the following apply:

• The member has been absent at least 20 days due to personal illness, injury, surgery or temporary disability (including that of a spouse or child) prior to the day on which use of the Sick Leave Bank days is to begin;
• The member does not request sick bank withdrawals during maternity leave unless medical complications arise from pregnancy;
• The member does not request sick bank withdrawals for elective surgery;
• The member has exhausted his/her own accumulated sick and vacation leave;
• The member is not receiving and will not qualify to receive Workman's Compensation, disability, or any other compensation for the absences if it is provided through the benefit package offered by the Bulloch County Board of Education.

How to Request a Sick Leave Bank Withdrawal

Requests for Sick Leave Bank withdrawals are to be made as follows:

• Sick Leave Bank withdrawals may be requested and used only for personal illness, injury, surgery or temporary disability (or that of a spouse or child);
• The Sick Leave Bank Withdrawal Form is to be used for all requests;
• The Sick Leave Bank Withdrawal Form must be accompanied by a physician's statement verifying the member's illness, injury, surgery or temporary disability and attesting to the member's incapacity to perform his/her assigned duties;
• An applicant may be required to undergo, at the applicant's own expense, a medical review by a physician approved by the Trustees;
• Withdrawals from the bank will be granted in units of 20 days when the employee would normally receive pay;
• Members may submit requests for extensions of leave before their prior grant expires;
• The maximum number of days any member may receive in a fiscal year period is 60;
• All leave granted, but not used by the member, must be returned to the Sick Leave Bank;
• Sick leave granted to and used by a member does not have to be repaid except as all members are uniformly reassessed;
• Each member must sign an authorization form stating that the employee is aware of the provisions of the Sick Leave Bank and also that the employee relieves the Trustees and the Bulloch County School System from any liability as a result of action taken by the Trustees; 
• If a member is physically or mentally unable to make a request to the Sick Leave Bank, a family member or agent may file the request on the member's behalf;
• Upon request by the Committee of Trustees, an applicant must authorize the release of all of his or her medical records to the Committee of Trustees for review and consideration by the Trustees.

Processing Sick Leave Bank Requests

Requests for Sick Leave Bank withdrawals will be processed as follows:

• The Trustees will render a decision on an application for withdrawal within 20 working days of its receipt;
• The decision must reflect a majority vote of the entire Committee of Trustees;
• The initial (first) decision of the Trustees is subject to an appeal to the Committee of Trustees. However, said appeal must be submitted to the committee in writing within 20 calendar days of the Trustees' initial decision. This appeal will permit any additional information that the employee wishes to submit for information;
• The second decision of the Trustees is subject to appeal to the Board of Education. However, said appeal must be submitted to the Board in writing within 20 calendar days after the Trustees' decision.
• Employees must waive their grievance rights to participate and the Bulloch Board of Education hereby creates an exclusive appeals procedure applicable only to decisions of the Committee of Trustees relating to the administration of the Sick Leave Bank and hereby provides that the review will not be de nova but based only on the records available to the Committee of Trustees. The Board of Education will review the decision of the Committee of Trustees solely for the purpose of determining if the Committee of Trustees grossly abused its discretion or acted in an illegal or discriminatory manner;
• The trustee will use the following criteria in administering the bank and in rendering their decisions:
  • Medical evidence of serious personal illness, injury, surgery or disability (or a spouse or child);
  • Appropriate use of any previous sick leave; and
  • Length of service to the Bulloch County School System.

Record Keeping for the Sick Bank

 All records of the Sick Leave Bank will be maintained by the payroll department. The Trustees will inform the payroll department of all applications that have been approved and the amount of leave granted to the member.

Due to the establishment of a Sick Leave Bank any full time employee of the Bulloch County School System may donate up to 10 sick leave days to his or her spouse if such spouse is also an employee of the school system and the days may only be donated for purposes of maternity leave, illness, illness of a family member, or death of a family member. Please refer to the Bulloch County School Employee Handbook for eligible family members.

Note: Employee benefits and open enrollment are only available to full-time, benefits-eligible employees.  Substitutes, temporary employees, and employees who work at 49  percent time are not benefits-eligible. Open enrollment occurs each October to November for current employees.  New employees complete their benefits enrollment as part of their new-hire paperwork.

Questions: Contact the coordinator of employee benefits at 912-212-8500 with any benefits and open enrollment questions.

Open Enrollment Information

What benefits are available during Open Enrollment?  Open Enrollment includes two separate enrollments: 

• State Health Benefit Plan (Medical Only) and 
• NFP (Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, Teledoc and Flex Spending)   

When is Open Enrollment? Open enrollment occurs each year from mid October through early November for current employees.  

Do I have to participate in Open Enrollment?  You only participate in open enrollment if you need to add benefits, make changes or updates to your current benefits, or if your are interested in using Flex Spending. The federal government requires those who use Flex Spending to re-enroll each year. 

How do I add or update State Health Benefit Plan (Medical) benefits? To add or update State Health Benefit Plan (Medical Only) benefits,call 1-800-610-1863 or visit the State Health Benefit Plan website.  The enrollment code is SHBP-GA.

How do I add or update my benefits with National Financial Partners (Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, Teledoc and Flex Spending)?   To add or update these benefits, you will call 1-800-994-7429, visit the Bulloch County Schools BSwift website, or schedule a one-on-one meeting with benefits personnel. See more information the location schedule of these personnel below. 

How do I schedule a one-on-one appointment to discuss NFP benefits during Open Enrollment?  

• All questions regarding the appointment sign-up should be directed to Charlisa Osgood at 912-212-8517.

• Pre-tax retirement contributions to state retirement plans
• Pre-tax retirement contributions to optional additional retirement savings accounts
• Free online & in-person retirement workshops to help you plan
• Assistance with preparing wills and living trusts through Employee Assistance Program
• Opportunities to meet with approved retirement and estate planning vendors during Open Enrollment and at the school district's annual Employee Benefits & Wellness Fair.

• Medical, dental, & vision insurance with available flexible spending and health reimbursement accounts for expenses
• Additional cancer, life, short/long-term disability, and supplemental insurance options available
• Wellness incentives and rewards through the State Health Benefit Plan which earn you financial rewards and can earn additional money for your health reimbursement account to cover any out-of-pocket medical expenses.
• Free one-on-one insurance consultations with experienced professionals to help determine your individual insurance needs
• Free annual health screenings and flu vaccinations for you and your dependents
• Employer-paid supplemental life insurance 
• Free annual employee benefits and wellness fair with more than 40 vendors.

Bulloch County Schools provides a free Employee Assistance Program to its employees. Ask Human Resources for more details or employees can  access more information in Google Drive, District Office, Human Resources, Benefits. Balancing the challenges of your job and the demands of an active personal lifestyle can at times be overwhelming. The Employee Assistance Program is here for you when you are facing issues that may interfere with your health, well-being and productivity at home or at work.

• Mental Health Counseling: If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the demands of life, you can access a licensed counselor for help. You get up to six counseling sessions available at no cost to you. Your counselor may refer you to resources in your community for ongoing support.
• Legal, Financial, Work & LIfe Counseling: The Employee Assistance Program provides up to three free consultations with a degreed professional available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in these key areas:
  • Consultations with legal & financial experts:
    For contractual disputes, divorce, child custody, home purchases and closings, adoption, debt management,
    credit report issues, estate planning, and more.
  • Consultations with work and life professionals to help you identify resources for Childcare and parenting, elder care, event and travel
    planning, home repairs, moving or relocation services
• The Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees who work at least 29 hours a week, along with their household members and children up to age 26.

• New Teacher Induction Program:  An annual program for first-year teachers and teachers who are new to the school district to help them learn our district's values, provide school-based mentors. Participants receive a stipend plus door prizes of classroom resources.
• Teacher Leader Program: Our school district believes in building the leadership capacity of employees. This program is open to teachers  who want to prepare themselves for future leadership roles in their school or the district.
• School Improvement Coaches: Team of well-trained academic and behavior coaches to support teachers and school administrators
• Safety & Security Training: The school district's safety director provides training on the use of the district's safety tools and other timely topics. 
• Professional Associations: The school district encourages involvement in professional associations that provide professional development, resources, and peer networking.
• Guest Speakers & Workshops: The school district periodically provides free in-house training from guest trainers and motivational speakers.
• Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy  is an alternative certification program in Georgia designed for individuals who have a bachelor's degree and want to become certified teachers. The program is intended for individuals looking for a career change and others who did not complete a traditional teacher preparation program. Learn more about how our First District Regional Educational Service Agency can assist you here. 
• Pathways for Professionals and Georgia Para to Teacher programs help full-time paraprofessionals who would like to become certified teachers. Learn more here.

Bulloch County Schools believes in providing its employees the technology tools they need to be effective and efficient. Particularly for teachers, we provide the following classroom tools:

• For school faculty: Personal laptops with docking station; Refreshed every three to five years
• For classroom teachers: Promethean Board with wireless mouse and keyboard
• One-to-one digital devices for students, to allow educators to better engage and deliver classroom instruction
• Online absence and leave tool to help best manage professional, personal, and sick leave requests.
• Online tool to request and manage substitutes for teachers, clerical, custodial, nursing, and other job roles.
• Multiple digital resources: Classlink, Illuminate, Google Suite, and more
• A dedicated technology liaison for each school and office
• Invests in technology tools that help support employees performing their duties more efficiently and effectively

Bulloch County Schools has partnered with national affinity programs and local retailers to offer its employees discounts on many goods and services:

• Tickets At Work: Through this free national service, school district employees can enjoy exclusive discounts, special offers and access to preferred seating and tickets to top attractions, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets, hotels and much more. Contact Human Resources for our district's login code
• All employees with a valid school district identification badge may attend any of the school district's middle and high school regular season sporting events for free
• 30 local retailers and organizations offer discounts on their good and services to Bulloch County Schools employees with a valid school district identification badge