An extended leave of absence is a leave that has been authorized by an employer for a period of at least three years but not more than five years. This leave must be documented by Board minutes or by policy.
You are required to retain the right to full reinstatement both during and at the end of your extended leave (unless you are a superintendent). An extended leave granted with the condition that you must resign is not a leave for which service credit can be purchased.

Please note that members have the right to be reinstated to a position for which they are licensed at the beginning of any school year which immediately follows a year of extended leave, provided notification is provided as outlined in the applicable statute (MS 122A.46).

The termination date for all extended leaves is the date of the last normal teaching day covered by the extended leave.

Employer Certification
Your employer must certify your extended leave to us on the Leave of Absence Report (Form TRA-1500) at the time your extended leave is granted. Please check with your employer to ensure that this certification has been reported to our office.

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to purchase service credit for the period of your extended leave, you must be employed in a public school, college or state university as a member of the instructional or supervisory staff including principals, superintendents, supervisors, classroom teachers and librarians, but excluding chancellors and vice-chancellors.

An extended leave of absence without salary may be granted by an employer to a teacher with:

• At least five years of service with the employer that is granting the extended leave
  AND
• At least 10 years of allowable service or 10 years of full-time teaching service for K-12
  OR
• At least 10 years of allowable service in one or a combination of the four Minnesota teacher retirement associations, if a MnSCU member

Payment Deadline
Payment for service credit must be received by TRA no later than June 30 of each year of the extended leave or before your date of retirement, whichever is earlier. If the employee and employer contributions are not paid in any year, you lose eligibility to pay for the remaining years of the extended leave.

If you would like to learn how an extended leave may affect your future retirement benefits, please check the TRA Web site www.tra.state.mn.us/ or call the TRA office at 800-657-3669 or 651-296-2409.

Service Credit Purchase
If you are granted an extended leave, you may purchase up to five years of service credit to cover the years you are on extended leave without pay.

You may purchase full service credit by paying a lump sum. Payment must include both the employee and employer contributions based on the salary that you received during the year immediately preceding your extended leave and the appropriate contribution rates in effect for each year of the extended leave.

Example: Salary for July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, is $50,000. Extended leave is granted for July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2011. Your payments for each year of the leave must include both the employee and employer contributions, based on the $50,000 salary.

Fiscal Year	Salary	Employee* Contribution	Employer* Contribution
2006-07	$50,000	$2,000	$2,000
2007-08	$50,000	$2,000	$2,000
2008-09	$50,000	$2,000	$2,000
2009-10	$50,000	$2,000	$2,000

* Based on current 5 percent contribution rates, and subject to legislative change.
The employer from which you are on leave may pay any portion of the employer share of the contribution, but is not obligated to do so.
 
If a discrepancy develops between this summary and state law, the law will govern. The primary statutory provisions are Minnesota Statutes, sections 354.094, 122A.46 and 136F.43.