School employees ask for 'respect,' higher bonus

Rapides Parish school employees can expect to see an additional $800 one-time supplement this Christmas. It's $400 less than last year's "14th check" but up from district officials' recommendation after several employees talked to the school board about appreciation.

The Rapides Parish School Board approved the $800 supplement, which many people refer to as a "Christmas bonus," for all school district employees Tuesday. After an hour of discussion it passed with six affirmative votes. Board member Steve Berry voted against it. Stephen Chapman and John Allen abstained.

District administration recommended a $500 one-time supplement, which would cost the district about $2 million to be covered through various grant funds. The board had charged district administration in October with finding alternative funding sources to cover the supplement and keep the district from having to dip into its general fund that currently has a balance of $7 million.

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The $500 recommended supplement was to be covered through grant funds, Director of Finance Liz Domite said.

But some board members — and many district employees in the audience — questioned why the board would not use general operating funds or some of its $20 million special reserve fund to raise the supplement. Last year employees received a $1,200 supplement, $465 the Christmas before that and $750 three years ago.

"It was not advised that we continue to use (the general fund for this)," Authement told board members. "If we continue, we will be in financial straits."

Addressing financial worries, board members talked about recent unfunded mandates that increased what the district pays in retirement or the $11 million deficit the district had many years ago. And state recommendations call for districts to keep their special reserve at a certain level, administration said.

Several school district employees representing a variety of jobs — bus drivers, bus aides, food service technicians, paraprofessionals and teachers — asked the board to raise the supplement.

"The money is there, you just don't want to let go of it," one teacher said.

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Ruby Bienvenu, food service technician of 17 years, said it's hard to make ends meet on her current pay. She encouraged the board to consider offering a higher supplement to boost morale.

"We just like to know we are appreciated," Bienvenu said. "It's not about a dollar bill. With $7 million sitting here, $20 million sitting here, somebody can do some numbers and do better than $500 for all of us."

One teacher said "it boils down to respect."

"We ask you to do for us what you ask us to do for our kids," she said, adding that teachers have faced several new challenges in recent years. "...Extra work and no extra for us?"

Another teacher talked again about appreciation.

"You're looking at the wrong values," she said. "You're looking at numbers and not people."

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Paraprofessional Zelma McCoy reminded the board that supplement is taxed.

"The less you propose, the less we see," she said.

The board approved an $800 "14th check" to be issued Dec. 17. Grant funds will be used to cover the first $2 million as originally planned. The remaining about $1.3 million will come from the general fund. Employees must complete four hours of online training or repay the money.

A bus driver talked of strikes as possible results of employees who feel unappreciated.

Leona Venson, president of the Rapides Federation of Teachers, reminded the board that while there is some merit in the idea of a school system run as a business, the "primary responsibility of any educational system is to educate our children" not to make a profit. She asked the board to raise the check to $1,200 like last year and like what was originally on the September agenda for the board's Personnel Committee.

On Wednesday she applauded the employees who attended the meeting and called their board members for their work. She also congratulated the board for voting for the supplement and "recognizing that one of the best ways to continue to have committed personnel is to reward them whenever possible."

But she believes the board could have done more.

"However, the funds for the $1,200 bonus were there and the employees should have received the $1,200 bonus," Venson said.