(1) Commencing in January 1981, and each January thereafter, each eligible, current employee of a school district and educational service district may elect to convert excess sick leave to monetary compensation as provided in this section.

(2) Eligible employees, excess sick leave and the conversion of excess sick leave to monetary compensation shall be determined as follows:

(a) Eligible employees: In order to be eligible to convert excess sick leave days to monetary compensation, an employee:

(i) Shall be an employee of an educational service district or an employee of a school district that has adopted an attendance incentive program covering such employee pursuant to WAC 392-136-065;

(ii) Shall have accumulated in excess of 60 full days of unused sick leave at a rate of accumulation no greater than one full day per month (a maximum of 12 days per year) as of the end of the previous calendar year; and

(iii) Shall provide written notice to his or her employer during the month of January of his or her intent to convert excess sick leave days to monetary compensation.

(b) Excess sick leave: The number of sick leave days which an eligible employee may convert shall be determined by:

(i) Taking the number of sick leave days in excess of 60 full days that were accumulated by the employee during the previous calendar year at a rate of accumulation no greater than one full day per month of employment as provided by the leave policies of the district(s) of employment (a maximum of 12 days per year); and

(ii) Subtracting therefrom the number of sick leave days used by the employee during the previous calendar year.

The remainder, if positive, shall constitute the number of sick leave days which may be converted to monetary compensation.

(c) Rate of conversion: Sick leave days that are eligible for conversion shall be converted to monetary compensation at the rate of 25 percent of a daily rate of pay at the employee's current hourly rate of compensation based on a 1.0 full-time equivalent staff schedule. Partial days of eligible sick leave shall be converted on a pro rata basis.

(3) All sick leave days converted pursuant to this section shall be deducted from an employee's accumulated sick leave balance.

(4) Compensation received pursuant to this section shall not be included for the purpose of computing a retirement allowance under any public retirement system in this state.