Ouachita School Board Looks At Sabbaticals

MONROE, La. (AP) — The Ouachita Parish School Board will be $1 million closer to the total amount it would like to reduce from its 2012-13 fiscal year budget if members approve the finance committee's most recent recommendation.

The News-Star reports the board will consider Thursday whether to suspend teacher sabbaticals for the upcoming school year. Doing so would save the board nearly $1 million.

The recommendation from the committee would be to suspend all professional sabbaticals, non-catastrophic sabbaticals and medical sabbaticals for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

In an average school year about 23 teachers take sabbatical leave for a total of $1,239,650 cost to the district.