About 500 teachers don’t get their pay raises

About 500 Oklahoma City Public Schools teachers did not receive retroactive pay increases Friday as promised.

District officials blamed the mistake on a data processing error and say the money will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of each teacher later this week.

“We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience to our staff,” Beth Harrison, the district’s communications director, said Monday.

Last month, the school board approved $2.6 million in onetime step increases for about 2,677 teachers, 130 principals and assistant principals, and 1,443 support staff under agreements with the unions representing each group.

The agreements covered the 2017 fiscal year, which ended June 30.

Retiring teachers were among those affected by the error, said Janis Perrault, the district’s chief human resources officer.

“It was a mixture of staff and we have identified them and are working diligently to correct this regrettable delay,” she said.

Ed Allen, president of the union representing teachers, said he received dozens of phone calls and emails from angry teachers who didn’t receive their increases.

“To say the least, they were upset,” Allen said Monday.

“This is another example of our district being unable to function properly. We must begin the transformation process to address the multiple issues that confront our district.”

Under the agreement with the Oklahoma City American Federation of Teachers,

teachers were supposed to receive step increases from $140 to $3,000 depending on experience.

Counselors, library media specialists and nurses are included in this classification of employees.

The pay increases are expected to cost the district nearly $1.9 million.

Principals, meanwhile, were supposed to receive an experience step increase of $700, while assistant principals who have not reached the 10-year maximum experience cap would get a $500 increase, officials said.

Support staff, which includes bus drivers, maintenance workers and classroom assistants, were supposed to receive an hourly pay raise of 25 cents.

The increases for more than 4,250 workers will cost the district $2.9 million — 75 percent of which will come from the district’s general fund. A combination of funds will cover the rest, officials said.

Also last month, the school board approved $343,000 in retroactive pay increases for central office workers.

Under a revised proposal, 220 central office staff and select operations workers, including members of Superintendent Aurora Lora’s cabinet, were supposed to receive $1,200 each for 2016-17.

Another $1,200 will be added to each employee’s base salary for the 201718 school year at an additional cost to the district of $343,000.

With the exception of the 500 teachers, all other eligible employees have received their pay increases, Perrault said.

It was a mixture of staff and we have identified them and are working diligently to correct this regrettable delay.”

Janis Perrault, chief human resources officer