The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees voted Jan. 21 to extend available COVID-19 sick leave for eligible district employees. The extension will last through June 30.

These benefits, originally provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, expired Dec. 31. Until that point, FFCRA gave eligible workers up to 80 hours of paid leave if the worker had to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or symptoms. Paid leave was also available if a worker needed to care for someone who was quarantining. Those who could work remotely did not qualify for FFCRA aid.

The board extended the opportunity for paid leave to mirror the benefits provided by the FFCRA and to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing.