Harlan Kirgan
St. Landry Parish School Board members will have a chance to resolve a disagreement about how much of a Christmas bonus to give to school employees.
The School Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today the Opelousas Civic Center on Creswell Lane.
The discord arose in the Board’s Oct. 23 Finance Committee meeting.
The committee was presented with three Christmas stipend options:
— Give $1,000 to full-time employees at cost of $2.4 million.
— Give the full-time employees a $750 stipend, which would cost $1.8 million.
— Give substitutes a $200 bonus which would have a total cost of $11,000.
The money for the bonuses comes from Employee Compensation and Benefit Fund, which is dedicated to employee pay.
Albert Hayes Jr., a Eunice Board member, and Hazel Sias, an Opelousas Board member, said the Board should consider paying out the entire fund to the employees.
Hayes also suggested the substitute bonus be raised to $250.
Hayes and Sias voted against a motion by Port Barre area Board member Donnie Perron to give full-time employees the $750 bonus and substitutes the $200 bonus.
Perron’s motion passed with additional votes from Board members Candace Gerace and Committee Chairman Raymond Cassimere.
Sias said, “Our people are in dire need now.”
Randy Wagley, Board president, said, “We can do whatever we want Thursday.”
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said it was his recommendation for the $750 and $200 bonus amounts.
“The only reason I made the recommendation for $750 ... is so that we continue to have enough money in this fund...”
In 2014, full-time employees received a $1,000 bonus and substitutes were paid $300.
In 2015, full-time employees were paid a $1,000 bonus, but the bonus to substitutes was dropped to $250.
In 2016, full-time employees received a $750 bonus and substitutes were paid $200.
The fund from which the bonuses are paid had a $5.9 million balance as of Aug. 31.
Tressa Miller, school finance director, said auditors have recommended the school system keep a $2.6 million balance in the fund. She reported the system has $3.3 million available for the Christmas bonus.
Today’s School Board meeting is to start with a tribute to school employees who are veterans.