By Calvin Pynn, contributor
The Harrisonburg City Public Schools updated its parental leave policy to provide paid leave to all employees who become new parents, including those who adopt or are fostering a child.
The city school board unanimously voted to approve the policy change upon first reading at their meeting Tuesday night, enacting the change immediately. The policy’s language matches the same benefit Harrisonburg granted to city employees in a policy change last fall.
Under the updated policy, eligible school employees can receive up to eight weeks of paid parental leave in order to transition to living with a newborn, adopted child, or newly placed foster child. Those who are eligible include full- or part-time employees who have worked for the district for at least six months. The leave must be used within six months of the child’s arrival and can be taken intermittently during that time.
Typically, the board would wait to put the amended policy in place on second reading, which would have to wait until the board’s next business meeting in August after its traditional July recess. Chair Emma Phillips said during the meeting that board members wanted to expedite the decision so it will take effect for teachers and staff who are pregnant.
“We have parents out there right now who are pregnant and really anxious for this to move forward,” Phillips said.
The board also discussed possible provisions in the policy for a one-week paid leave for employees who experience a stillbirth. While the first draft of the policy included text relevant to that situation, board member Kristin Loflin said it would need more clarification. She noted that people can experience more than one stillbirth in a year.
“If you have a situation where someone has three stillbirths during a year, can they take three weeks, one after each of them?” Loflin asked. “I want to make sure that’s clear because that’s what I’m wondering.”
While the board approved the updated policy Tuesday night, the board might revisit it in the future to clarify benefits in the instance of a stillbirth. The board also discussed possibly extending paid parental leave to 12 weeks in the future to align with state employee benefits.
Superintendent Michael Richards said he would seek advice on that potential change during his next monthly meeting with Harrisonburg City manager Ande Banks.
City district sticks with VSBA
The board approved the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2025-2026 Policy Services Agreement. Following the vote, Vice Chair Tim Howley asked why some school boards across the commonwealth had exited the organization.
In response, Richards said that several boards have perceived the organization to have a political bias, a claim with which Richards disagreed.
“I’m gonna take a little bit of a risk here and say that, in my opinion, it is a false narrative,” Richards said. “I believe the VSBA is an amazing resource for us. Sometimes, depending on who is governor, they may lean in a kind of direction to please the governor, but with their policies, they don’t. Their policies are clean of any kind of politics.”
Rockingham County Public Schools joined several other Virginia school districts in exiting the VSBA in a 3-1 vote from the county school board last summer. Like the other boards, they moved to join the School Board Member Alliance of Virginia — an organization known for their conservative-leaning policies.
Other highlights from Tuesday’s meeting:
- Claire Leeper, the inaugural band director for Rocktown High School, was named as HCPS Educator of the Year for the 2024-2025 school year.
- Richards disbanded the Superintendent’s Staff Advisory Council in light of HCPS’ recent approval of collective bargaining. He formally recognized the council members Tuesday night for two years of service.
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