Educators’ union lobbies for approval of bonus for LR employees.

$1,000 payout slow to arrive

Members of the Little Rock Education Association, a union of teachers and support staff, took to social media Thursday night to lobby for approval today by Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key a proposed $1,000 bonus for Little Rock School District employees.

Association members met late Thursday afternoon in what association President Teresa Gordon said was out of great concern about Key’s failure to act on the proposed bonus that was negotiated by teams of association and district leaders in early February and passed on to Key on Feb. 13.

Key acts as the school board — the decision-maker on policies, personnel and finances — in the Little Rock School District that is in its fourth year of state control with a state-appointed superintendent and no elected school board.

Gordon said the district’s deadline is today for getting the necessary approval to be able to distribute the bonuses to more than 3,000 teachers and support staff by the March 19 start of spring break.

If the approval is not forthcoming today, association members will do informational picketing in front of schools on Monday. Additionally, another membership meeting will be called for considering additional action, she said.

“The main thing, we don’t want to harm our students or our families. We want to be treated fairly,” Gordon said.

Key had initially tabled the bonus proposal until he received information from Superintendent Mike Poore and his staff on an updated 2017-18 budget, a projected 2018-19 school year budget and any financial changes in regard to capital construction projects.

Key said in an email response to questions Thursday night that he had spent the day in Northwest Arkansas.

“I understand the information I requested was delivered,” Key said. “I will review it [today].”

The proposed one-time bonus is expected to cost the district about $4.4 million.