NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Board of Education has placed two policies up for the 30-day comment period.

Approved for consideration during a special school board meeting Monday morning were proposed amendments to Policy GCGB “Arrangements for Substitute Professional Staff,” and Policy GCD “Staff Vacation and Holidays.”

The proposed amendment under Policy GCD falls under the section of Outside School Environment Days, changing the affected employees from those under a 261-day contract to those under a 240-day contract.

It also removes language which reads “Unused OSE days will be converted to vacation days,” and adds language stating “OSE days will appear on the employee’s paycheck as vacation leave as a means of tracking. These days must be used within the fiscal year and will not be carried over.”

Finance Director Joe Campinelli explained the use of OSE days.

“Basically, they’re paid days that employees don’t work,” he said, noting they are typically built into the calendar at the end of the school year.

School officials note, however, that often limits their use as employees who will be affected through the proposed amendment typically are needed to close out the school year and prepare for summer break.

Campinelli said the change would provide affected employees with more flexibility as to when their OSE days can be used.

“They’re not pigeonholed into a specific week,” Campinelli said.

The only proposed change to Policy GCGB – which is focused only on substitute professional staff – is the removal of language stipulating those who “fail to answer their telephone between 5:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. for more than four times each semester,” would be removed from the substitute list.

“We’re not going to remove you from the substitute list if that’s the case,” Superintendent Dan Enich said.

The proposed policies have been posted on the Hancock County Schools website, with comments accepted over the next few weeks.

Once the 30-day comment period is complete, the proposals will be submitted to the school board for final consideration.