A full-time or permanent, part-time (Salary Schedule H) employee can be granted up to a maximum of six consecutive calendar months of maternity leave without pay for the birth or adoption of a child. The six-month maximum designation is intended to apply exclusively to unpaid maternity leave. Therefore, any paid leave taken by an employee for maternity purposes will not reduce the maximum amount of six months of unpaid maternity leave. All accrued leave including compensatory time (unless in FMLA status) must be exhausted before an employee is entitled to request unpaid maternity leave. A person who resigns instead of taking maternity leave cannot be paid for accumulated sick leave (Board Policy 611.01, 1/13/2021).