FCSD to present ADE with plan for staff bonuses
Board members approve different amounts for classified, certified
The Forrest City School Board will be submitting a plan to the Arkansas Department of Education for staff to receive bonuses through ESSER funding once the personnel policy committee polls the staff on how they want their checks distributed.
Forrest City Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Hardrick provided two options for board members to review during their monthly meeting Wednesday.
In the first option, all employees would get a $3,344.68 bonus.
The second option would give certified employees $4,189.94 and classified employees $2,500 for full-time employees and half of those amounts for part-time employees.
Recently, the state legislative council recommended the federal funds be used to give a $5,000 bonus to full-time teachers and a $2,500 bonus to full-time classified staff.
Hardrick told the board she recommended the second option to be more in line with the state recommendation, but added the final decision is up to the board.
Several board members asked if there were ways to get the teachers up to the $5,000 mark as recommended by the state.
Hardrick explained that the board had two options there, one being to approve the $4,189.94 now with the understanding the extra $900 would be a possibility later in the semester once the budget for the year is reviewed.
"Or split the money with the understanding that if people leave in December, that money goes back into allocations for us to issue," said Hardrick of employees leaving before the school year is completed.
Hardrick explained that the district previously set aside $1.2 million for teacher retention purposes and that employees leaving before the school year was complete wouldn't get the other half of funding if the board issued the checks in half amounts.
School board member Annie Norman said she felt the first option for all staff to receive $3,344.68 was the better option due to the funding coming about because of the pandemic and that all staff had to work through pandemic protocols and problems.
Board member Larry Devasier said he felt certified should be paid more than classified.
Hardrick also reminded the board that originally, prior to the state recommendation, the board agreed to give $1,500 bonuses to all staff and that even with the state recommendation, all staff would be receiving more money than the board originally planned.
Board member Roy Hamilton stressed the importance of approving the matter in order for employees to receive bonuses in October.
"We want to be able to give everybody money without going into fiscal distress," added Hardrick.
Board president Sandra Taylor asked financial advisor Norman Hill for his opinion of how the district should distribute the checks.
"If you give it in one lump sum, it would take more money out of taxes from the bonus and possibly push some into a new income tax bracket," explained Hill. "But, if you split the checks, they do not get the amount all at once, but they get more of the money and it keeps them in the lower tax bracket."
When put to vote, the board decided to approve spending the $1.2 million allocated amount of ESSER funds with $4,189.94 going to certified full-time employees; $2,500 going to classified full-time employees and half of those amounts going to part-time employees in those categories, with the understanding
(Continued from Page 1) the remaining $900 for certified staff could possibly be paid in March, after the budget is reviewed.
In that recommendation, the board also chose to let the personnel policy committee poll employees to determine how they wanted checks to be issued.
In other business, the board approved new personnel with Channing Mitchell as a math teacher at Stewart, De'Avyon Griham as a Reach Assistant at Stewart, and Miesha Bryant and Jamie Mebane as bus drivers. The board also approved Karen Willis as a fourth grade math teacher with an amendment to the list presented.
"Does this make us fully staffed?" asked board member Patti Long.
"Yes, except for one third grade teacher," answered Hardrick.
The board also passed the annual resolution for Act 1120 that states districts have to report 5% salary increases for employees each year.
For the fiscal years 2020-21 to 2021-22, Hardrick presented a list of 217 employees who received at least 5% increases.
Of those employees, 122 were increases due to Covid pay; 38 due to salary schedule changes and Covid pay; 11 due to full year and Covid pay; nine due to additional hours worked plus Covid pay; eight due to additional hours worked; five due to bus driver salary schedule changes and Covid pay; five due to degree changes and Sovid pay; four due to Covid pay and retirement pay; two due to salary schedule change, Covid pay and retirement pay; two due to changes in duties and Covid pay; two due to bus duty salary schedule change; one due to supervisor duty and Covid pay; one due to salary schedule change; one due to student worker 2021 and Freedom School 2022; one due to student worker and additional hours worked; one due to aid salary schedule change; one due to additional hours worked and bus driver salary schedule change; one due to head coaching duty and Covid pay and one due to position change and Covid pay.
Hardrick explained that for the year, Covid pay was more due to the board approving stipends and incentives, including higher summer school wages, vaccine incentives and additional duty pay and retention pay.
During the discussion of the resolution, Norman questioned some of the more drastic pay increases. When prompted for the specific names, Norman asked about Krystal Weaver, who showed a $60,120.78 pay increase.
Hardrick explained Weaver, like some others on the list, were not hired until later in the previous year so the pay seemed more drastic.
“We hired her as a full-time sub. How is she making $70,000?" asked Norman.
Brandye Williams, the district’s treasurer, said Weaver moved from a sub salary schedule to a teacher salary schedule and that substituting does not account for experience while teacher salaries do.
Board member Evetta Whitby also questioned the large amount.
"It also accounts for additional duties such as coaching, if she did any afterschool, all that is factored into it as well," explained Williams.
Norman said she feels the board should be notified when changes in duties for employees take place to help with explaining such increases in salaries.
Long question how much Covid pay had previously been estimated.
"Classified received between $40 to $60 per hour," said Hardrick, claiming that the percentage amounts on the report are misleading.
"That percentage doesn't mean they received that amount of pay over others that year, but means they received that percentage above what they made the previous year," said Hardrick.
Norman asked why the dollar amount changes are different between those who received just Covid pay then questioned an amount paid to Thomas Garner. Garner’s amount shows a $13,449.34 increase.
Hardrick explained he was a teacher who picked up a bus driver contract.
"Let me clarify this, there are not any extra duties that the board does not approve," said Hardrick who added the board approves coaching duties and lists of summer school employees "All of that is in here. There are 100 factors that go in here that we do, but we do not just promote people without the board."
Norman also asked if administrators got paid extra for summer school.
"Administrators, no," said Hardrick. "Anybody that is under the same kind of schedule I am under does not receive summer pay." Hardrick explained that vice principals, secretaries and teachers are all on different monthly contracts.
Norman also asked about Teli White who was paid $61,427.09 in the 2021-22 school year. White was the football coach for the 2021-22 season.
"I thought he left us early," said Norman. "How did we end up giving him $61,000? I thought he left us in January.”
Hardrick explained that the employee was on a 235-day contract that began in the summer.
"His contract would be worth well over that," explained Hardrick. "Your full-time coaches depend on their years of experience and your head football coaches and head basketball coaches make what a principal makes."
"It says full year," said Norman of the reason for the increase.
"It is because he didn't work a full year the previous year and worked more the next year," explained Williams.
When put to vote, all board members voted to approve the resolution.