Governor Perdue Calls on School Systems to Implement Personal Leave Banks for Spouses of Active Duty Military Personnel

Governor Perdue Calls on School Systems to Implement Personal Leave Banks for Spouses of Active Duty Military Personnel

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue today called on the Georgia school superintendents to implement a personal leave bank in their school system.  The purpose of the leave bank is to give school employees who are spouses of active duty Georgia military personnel the ability to spend time with their spouse while they are on leave from duty.

“Many brave men and women from our state are putting their lives on the line every day in the global war on terror to protect the safety and security of our nation,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.  “The least we can do when they come home is to help their loved ones spend quality time with them before they return to active duty.”

Governor Perdue encouraged superintendents to allow school system staff to contribute personal leave days to the spouses of active duty military personnel who may lack personal leave days for spending time with their spouse while they are on leave from duty.  State law and rules regulate the use of sick leave.  All other leave policies are left to the discretion of the local school system.

Governor Perdue spoke to the state's school superintendents during a conference call from his Capitol office.  He was joined by State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox, Major General David Poythress and Libby Todd, a teacher at Crescent Elementary School in Griffin , Georgia .  Two of Todd's colleagues, educators from Crescent Elementary, approached Governor Perdue with the idea for a personal leave bank during a Saturday with Sonny meeting on January 21, 2006.  Todd is the wife of Sergeant First Class Richard Todd of the 1 st Platoon of the 108 th Calvary based out of Griffin .

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