Employee Status
The District hires certificated and non-certificated staff for both full-time and part-time hours during the work week and for ten, eleven and twelve-month positions. The status, working hours, and work year will be defined for the employee when hired by the Director of Human Resources.

Work Hours

Employment hours are determined by the respective collective bargaining agreements or the salary and benefits package for certificated and non-certificated employees.

Background Checks – Act, 34, Act 151, Act 114 & Act 168
Act 34 of 1985 requires that all employees of public and private schools must submit a current Pennsylvania State Police Background Check (Form SP4-164) and Act 151 of 1994 requires a current background check for child or student abuse as a condition for school employment. Act 114 of 2006 requires prospective employees to have a federal criminal history background check. Applicants must be fingerprinted and the PA Department of Education provides online access to approved hiring entities. In addition, Act 168 of 2014 (Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release Form) must be completed for each current and previous employer where the applicant had direct contact with children. Upon hiring, the original background checks must be presented to the Human Resources Department for initialing and registration.

Physical Exam
In order to certify the fitness of employees to efficiently discharge the duties which they will be performing and to protect the health of students from the transmission of communicable diseases, physical examinations of all employees will be required after receiving an offer of employment. This is mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health. A form supplied by the Kennett Consolidated School District is to be completed within 30 days of employment by a licensed physician and returned to the Human Resources Office. Payment for the exam is the responsibility of the employee.

Personnel Records
The Human Resources Office maintains personnel files on all employees. These files contain documentation regarding all aspects of the employee’s employment with the District and are available for review. If an employee is interested in reviewing the file, a written request must be made to the Human Resources Office.

The employee must review the file in the presence of the administrator designated to maintain said records. No materials may be removed from the file nor any additions or alterations may be made to the record. However, the employee shall have the right to submit a written answer to any filed material and to have it attached to the file copy of the material.

To help keep personnel records accurate, the employee should inform his/her supervisor or the Human Resources Office of any changes in relevant personal information such as name, address, telephone number, marital status, dependents, beneficiaries, or emergency contacts.

Job Posting
All vacant positions will be posted on designated bulletin boards in all work locations to assure that employees have an opportunity to apply for positions for which they are qualified. Vacancies will be posted for one calendar week. Job postings typically contain the job title, salary information, minimum qualifying requirements, essential job functions, and the closing date for applications and directions for applying. Employees who apply for posted positions, meet the minimum requirements, and are in good standing in terms of an overall work record will be considered. The Human Resources Office will notify those who have been interviewed in writing of hiring decisions.

Separation Procedures
An employee who wishes to resign or retire from the District should present a written letter to the Director of Human Resources and a copy to his/her immediate supervisor. The letter should indicate the effective date and the reason for the employee’s retirement or resignation. Non-certificated employees are requested to provide at least two (2) weeks notice prior to the date of the resignation/retirement. Certificated employees are required to provide at least sixty (60) days notice prior to the date of the resignation/retirement.

When an employee submits a letter of resignation or retirement from service with the District, he/she will need to schedule an exit interview with the Human Resources Office. The employee will meet with Human Resources to discuss such items as the retirement fund, final paycheck, and, if applicable, retirement payment and continuation of benefits under COBRA.

Emergency Closing of Schools
Certain weather conditions make it desirable to close school entirely, have a delayed opening of one to two hours, or dismiss school early. These decisions are made with the safety of the students and staff in mind. All staff members will be notified of closings and delayed openings via the emergency phone system.

If a decision is made to close schools, only administrators and 12-month employees report to work. In the event of a delayed opening of schools, all district staff with the exception of administrators and 12-month employees should report to work either one or two hours later than their normal starting time depending on the time of the delayed opening. Student dismissal at the end of the day will be at the usual time and employee ending times remain the same as usual. If schools are dismissed early, all employees with the exception of administrators and 12-month staff members can leave once it has been announced by the principal.

In certain instances when the schools are closed or there is to be a delayed opening of schools, the superintendent may determine that the 12-month employees should report to work at a later than usual time. Such notification will be given at the time the employee receives the telephone call via the emergency phone system. If the district is closed, only those employees needed to clear the walkways and parking lots or attend to building maintenance will report to work.

Announcements of school closings or delayed openings will be made over AM radio stations WCOJ (1420), WDEL (1150), and KYW (1060); and FM radio stations WSTW (93.7) and WJBR (99.5). Each will announce Kennett Consolidated School District except KYW, which will use the call number 880. Information can also be obtained by calling the District transportation hotline (610) 444-7456.