CLASSIFIED ADVISORY COUNCIL MINUTES

November 29, 2004

MEMBERS PRESENT: Phyllis Abernathy, Gail Grimes, Pam Allen (alt.) - Paraeducators; Fay Isaacs, Beth Johnson, Shirlee Holloway (alt.) - Secretary/Clerical; Barbara Hayes, John Hale (alt.) - Law Enforcement; Bob Glass, Marcus Dobbs, Scott LaFollette (alt.) - Transportation; Jo Ann Bright, Scott O'Hair - Custodial; Terri Horn - Plant Operations; Russ Southworth, Doug Botkin - Maintenance; Jon Connor - Food Service; Jim Adams, Sheila Sonka (alt.) - Technology.

ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT: Stu Silberman, Superintendent; Diana Shoop & Elizabeth Simpson, Human Resources.

VISITORS PRESENT: Barbara Durham, Pat Wooten.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

TRANSPORTATION

Bob Glass asked why employees who work on a less than year round basis cannot receive 26 pay checks. This had been addressed at last month's meeting. The District cannot legally hold back pay for hourly employees under Wage and Hour regulations. The employee can, on their own, determine how much they need to set aside in a personal savings account and pay themselves through the summer months or on pay dates that they receive no check or a short check. Diana Shoop has a formula for determining how much you should set aside. It is:

1. Hourly rate x hours per day x contracted days per year = gross salary
2. Gross salary x .28 = estimated amount taxes, etc
3. Subtract the "estimated amount of taxes, etc" in step 2 from the "gross salary" in step 1
4. Divide that amount by 21
5. Divide that same amount by 26
6. Subtract the amount from step 5 from the amount in step 6 to get how much you should save per check.

For example, a bus driver works 6.5 hours/day and is contracted for 182 days at the hourly rate of $11.74.

1. $11.74 x 6.5 x 182 = $13,888.42 gross salary
2. $13,888.42 x .28 = $3,888.76
3. $13,888.42 - $3,888.76 = $9,999.66
4. $9,999.66 / 21 = $476.17
5. $9,999.66 / 26 = $384.60
6. $476.17 - $384.60 = $91.57 (amount you should save each pay check to pay yourself on pay dates where you have no check or a short check)

Bob Glass asked why classified employees can't use sick or emergency leave to cover days without pay during scheduled breaks in the work calendar. Diana Shoop responded that a sick leave card is a legal affidavit that you were unable to perform your responsibilities due to illness. Emergency leave also has specific criteria for use. The days without pay during scheduled breaks in the work calendar are not contracted days with the District. Leave can only be taken on days that employees have been contracted to work.

Marcus Dobbs asked about retro pay. The additional .5% increase will be reflected on the December 15th pay check. Retro pay is anticipated before January 1. An additional 1% increase will be applied beginning January 1st and will be reflected on the January 26th paycheck.

Diana Shoop wanted to remind everyone that December is a 3 check month. There will be no insurance deductions taken from the 1st December check but the 2nd December check will include the new insurance and insurance escrow amounts.

SECRETARY/CLERICAL

Fay Isaacs complimented Budget Services for resolving the issue of billing schools for overscheduled hours (instead of just taking the money) so that the school could determine the funding source. She appreciates the work they did to accomplish this.

Fay also raised the issue of the timing of PO entries and journal entries for the payment of Fayette County Schools' expenses, e.g. printing. She requests that the timing problem be addressed and corrected so that the PO maintenance and the general journal entry be done with 24 hours (if not sooner) of each other.

Fay asked why classified employees (Office Professionals in particular) are not required to attend faculty meetings. She indicated that a lot of information is conveyed at these meetings that the classified staff is left out of the loop on. Stu responded that this could not be mandated but he would encourage principals to set aside some to keep their support staff informed.

MAINTENANCE

Doug Botkin asked why the staff directory lists phone numbers that are unpublished numbers. Stu indicated he would find out where the staff directory originated and get this problem corrected by the time next year's directory came out.

PARAEDUCATORS

Phyllis Abernathy wanted to thank the Risk Management area for promptly addressing the parking lot safety concern at her school (Glendover). She indicated that with the new lights in the parking lot safety has been much improved.

Phyllis asked about the possibility for extra pay for Paraeducators who substitute for teachers when substitute teachers are not available. Stu replied that getting enough subs to cover our needs has been a real problem. Paraeducators are probably paid more as a Paraeducator than they would be if they were paid as a sub teacher. He indicated that they have to be paid one way or another (as a Paraeducator or as a sub teacher) and it is more advantageous to the Paraeducator to be paid their Paraeducator pay.

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, January 18, 2005 at 5:45 p.m.

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