Some Maine school administrators have said the state’s Paid Family Medical Leave, or PFML requirement is making it difficult to staff classrooms.
At a Tuesday public hearing on the program, Lewiston School District Human Resources Director Suzanna Gallant said schools already offer a generous leave before family leave is applied.
“Teachers are being offered the option to hold off on leave, skip the entire summer season and take the leave when they come back to school, effectively extending that leave by an extra three months,” Gallant said.
Gallant said up to 45 employees, including substitute teachers, are out on leave every day.
Members of the PFML Benefits Authority acknowledged that a statutory change may be necessary to address how public schools use the program.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.