I.    PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to School District employees as to the policy and procedure for requesting shared positions.

II.    GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. The Minnetonka School Board recognizes that at certain points in their career some employees would prefer to work in a part time job rather than in a full time position, due to family commitments, or other factors, which preclude full-time employment.
    
2. The Board further recognizes that in some instances it may be to the advantage of the School District to provide the option of sharing a job in order to retain proven and dependable staff members, rather than requiring them to resign from a position.
    
3. Hence, under certain circumstances which assure the continuation of high quality provision of services, the Board in its sole discretion may approve job-sharing arrangements.

III.    CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL

1. The District will consider job-sharing applications only from a pair of classroom teachers, one of whom must be on continuing contract status, with a satisfactory record of performance, which the District believes will provide for a successful shared position arrangement;
    
   1. In the event that one of the job share partners is not on continuing contract status, the individual not on a continuing contract must have worked successfully for the District for a minimum of two years.
       
2. The Administration will draft procedures, which will outline the application process for job sharing, the conditions under which job sharing will occur, and special expectations. Procedures for non-teachers seeking job-sharing arrangements shall take into consideration any contractual provisions affecting the employees’ bargaining groups as appropriate.

IV.    COST AND FINANCES

1. Job sharing arrangements will be approved only under the condition that they shall be financially neutral; that is, the cost and financial liability to the District of two teachers sharing a 1.0 job shall not be greater than with one teacher occupying the full position.

V.    TERM OF SHARED POSITIONS

1. At its discretion, the District will grant approval for a shared position arrangement for one full year; the arrangement may continue for a subsequent year(s) but a new application for approval must be submitted annually. As governed by related policy and any bargaining agreement provisions, and under ordinary circumstances, continuing contract teachers shall take a half-time leave of absence (0.5 FTE) from a full position for one year. A job-share partner who is not a teacher on continuing contract status shall be employed as a long-term substitute for no more than 0.5 FTE under this arrangement. During the term of the shared position, both teachers will be assigned no more than 1.0 FTE of work in total.

VI.    SERVICE EXPECTATIONS

1. The District will evaluate the job-sharing arrangement in order to ensure a high level of parental satisfaction and student success with the services being provided. Such evaluation shall occur annually prior to approving a job share arrangement for the following year.

VII.    ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

1. The Administration shall prepare and maintain Administrative Rules and Procedures which implement this policy.