In mid-January, the Sun Journal mailed letters to 22 school districts in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties seeking data to analyze and compare teachers’ contracted sick days and the cost of hiring substitutes when teachers call in sick.

Most local schools do not track the information the Sun Journal requested, including total teacher sick days taken, but were diligent about gathering the information, with most responses returned within 90 days.

Union 29 (Poland, Mechanic Falls and Minot) was not able to gather the requested information because the district is short-staffed; Unions 30 (Lisbon Falls) and 37 (Rangeley) did not respond to repeated requests for information.

SAD 17 (Oxford Hills) declined to break down the number of sick days taken by teachers in each school, saying that, “due to the size of some of our schools, it would be possible for a teacher’s individual sick leave record to be identified, which would be a violation of their privacy rights.” SAD 17 did provide all other requested information.

In SAD 58 (Kingfield area) in Franklin County, the superintendent declined to release information on the number of teachers who maxed out allowable sick time and the top 10 days when teachers called in sick because it made him “uncomfortable” for the public to know. All other requested information was provided.

SAD 9 (Farmington area) not only tracks the requested information, but annually publishes a breakdown of sick days by dollar and by school for taxpayers in its budget book and district report card. It is the only district found to be so thorough in its report to voters.

In analyzing the data from the districts that responded, we found:

• The Auburn School Department offers the most sick time, at 17 days per year.

• SAD 21 (Dixfield, Peru, Canton, Carthage) offers the least sick time, at 13 days per year.

• SAD 52 budgets the greatest percentage of its teacher salary budget on substitute teachers: $116,750 of a $3.4 million budget (3.3 percent).

• Union 44 (Sabattus, Wales, Litchfield) and SAD 21 budget the lowest percentage of teacher salary budgets on substitutes. Union 44 budgets $63,000 of a $4.9 million budget (1 percent); SAD 21 budgets $31,000 of a $3 million budget (1 percent).

• Some school districts offer bonuses to teachers who take no sick days. In SAD 21, teachers who take no sick days during the school year get a $250 year-end bonus; a $200 year-end bonus for taking only one day; a $150 bonus for taking two days; and $100 for taking three days.

• Most districts allow teachers to carry over unused sick days, accumulating them year to year, up to 180 days.

• Auburn had the most teachers who took the greatest allowable number of sick days in the 2005-06 school year.

• Auburn had the most teachers who took no sick time at all during that year.

• SAD 52 (Turner, Leeds, Greene) had the lowest average number of sick days taken district-wide, at 4.2 per teacher.

• Fayette School Department had the highest average number of sick days taken by elementary school teachers, at 10.8 days per year.

• Monmouth had the highest average number of sick days taken by middle school teachers, at 9.7 days per teacher.

• SAD 15 (Gray-New Gloucester) had the highest average number of sick days taken by high school teachers, at 7.3 days per year.

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