During the June 12 meeting of the Webster Parish School Board, Debbie Finley and Tim Green of Allen, Green & Williamson, LLP addressed the board with their findings regarding increasing some employees’ pay.
Salary scales had been frozen over 10 years ago. They were unfrozen in 2017. The firm of Allen, Green & Williamson had been asked to investigate, as a third party, what expenses would be involved in bringing those employees who had gone without raises for several years up to what they would have been making if salaries had not been frozen.
Those who would not be affected would be people who were already at the maximum salary for their position, those hired after the freeze was lifted in 2017, and persons who had contracted, set pay scales (substitutes, bus drivers, and bus aides). The employees that would be affected include about 250 people, 182 of whom are teachers.
Taking into account both salary increases and benefits, the firm estimates that bringing these 250 employees up-to-date on their salaries would cost the district an additional $350,000 per year.
“This is our first draft of the calculations, and there may be a couple more tweaks to it, but we think that the $350,000 should be a safe number as far as the total cost,” said Tim Allen, senior partner of Allen, Green & Williamson. “Some [employees] would get very little; some may get close to $4,000 [per year increase].”
Persons who have already retired were not included and would not have their retirement pensions adjusted. This adjustment would be considered a raise that starts when/if the board approves it.
“I think we do owe those teachers who did retire under the freeze an explanation,” said board member Susan Addington of District 12. “I know they don’t get back-pay, but their retirement is affected.”
Finance Director Crevonne Odom took this time to point out, “If you take this $350,000 and multiply it by the 10 years that we were frozen, that means that we saved $3.5 million. That kept us from going under. Sometimes drastic measures are required to keep things afloat, and that is what was done.”
Working this much more pay into the budget will be difficult enough without increasing the amount by including people who no longer work for the district.
The district is expecting fewer students this year, which also means less income for the district. While the majority of the board seemed in favor of adjusting the salaries of these employees, this situation is something that needs to be taken into account.
This news comes on the heels of hearing that the State Legislature declined to give teachers across the state permanent raises, instead issuing one-time stipends to teachers and paraprofessionals, with a promise of “maybe next year.”
Some good news for Webster Parish teachers, however, is that their summer sales-tax supplement check will be higher than last year. For certificated teachers without Medicare it will be about $10,800, with Medicare will be about $7,600, and support personnel will be about $5500. Those checks will go out June 16.
The board hopes to make a decision regarding updating the frozen salaries at the next school board meeting. If they decide in favor, then 9-month employees will get their first upgraded checks in October. For 12-month employees, the raise would go into effect in July, but they still would not see it reflected on their checks until October, though retroactively.
The next school board meeting will be on July 10. The public is welcome to attend.