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The Clark County Board of Education passed a resolution Monday providing teachers and other school employees affected by the coronavirus the possibility of more paid emergency leave.

It was something teachers, including Brian Foudray, president of the Clark County Education Association, had asked for at the beginning of the meeting.

Scarlett Ryan, director of human resources, presented the proposal to allow employees up to two weeks, or 10 work days, of COVID-19 paid emergency leave for the 2020-21 school year with the possibility of additional days if Superintendent Paul Christy approves them.

The provision was made possible by a state regulation granting local school boards the authority to approve emergency leave because of the respiratory illness.

Employees can use the emergency leave without losing part of their salary or normal sick leave.

The emergency pay expires at the end of the 2020-21 school year or when the governor’s state of emergency is lifted.

It can be used not only if the employee gets sick with the virus, which can be debilitating or even deadly, but also to take care of a family member or another individual, or if the employee must be quarantined because someone else they’ve come in contact with has the virus.

“They have to be approved by Mr. Christy and they have to be COVID-related,” Ryan emphasized.

The measure passed 5-0.

Board Member Gordon Parido said there were 13 school employees currently quarantined or self-isolating because of the virus.