The Kenton County School District Board of Education approved 30 days of paid maternity leave for teachers this week as part of the district’s contract negotiations with the Kenton County Education Association, the union that represents Kenton County teachers.
The move follows the passage of Kentucky Senate Bill 9 last year, which mandated that Kentucky school districts enact a maternity leave policy by 2030, making Kenton County School District among the first districts to conform with the law. Northern Kentucky Senators Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Steve Rawlings were two of the bill’s co-sponsors. The union contract approved Monday will remain in effect until June 30, 2030.
Leann Lewis, a representative from the Kenton County Education Association, addressed the superintendent and Board of Education at their meeting Monday night.
“Your commitment to quality staff, safe and secure work environments and competitive wages are just a few of the qualities that make the Kenton County School District a place where teachers can learn and grow and build a career,” Lewis said.
The move coincided with a district pay raise of 3.4% for the next school year.
The maternity leave will be granted to all teachers who give birth and will not count against other forms of leave. Teachers who take leave will be paid their normal salaries during the allotted 30 days. Teachers who wish to take more time are allowed to use up to 15 days of paid sick leave. Any maternity leave that remains unused after six weeks of a child’s birth dissolves.
“We’re very excited to bring that forward in the contract,” Superintendent Henry Webb said.