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United ISD presents food-service attendance incentive; board hears program details
Summary
District staff described a food-service attendance incentive for hourly food-service employees, its funding source, and the program’s effect on attendance and payroll costs.
United Independent School District staff presented details on a food-service attendance incentive at the Feb. 12 board meeting, describing the program’s funding, payroll implications and observed attendance gains.
Mike Garza, food-service director, told the board the incentive was piloted two years ago, was implemented in full last year and was included in the current district budget. Garza said the program provides a $200 attendance incentive (added to previously budgeted amounts) for eligible hourly food-service employees; he said the payment adds roughly $96,000 to the food-service budget and is funded entirely from the food-service fund, which Garza said is federally funded and not from local tax dollars.
Garza reported the food-service fund had positive balances: “we're sitting about $2,000,000 in surplus for this, for this year. Plus a $6,000,000 current fund balance,” he said, and said personnel savings from previous cuts were about $800,000. He said the incentive has increased attendance — he reported a 62% increase for a past semester and described expectations for additional growth in the current spring semester.
Board members asked for details on pay and eligibility. Garza said the district’s minimum pay for food-service hourly staff is $12 per hour and that the district’s “actual payroll amount is about $17.08.” He said the incentive is awarded each semester (fall and spring), with exceptions allowed for FMLA, workers’ compensation and other protected leave; payments were expected to be processed in May for qualifying employees.
Garza said the incentive covers only transportation and food-service hourly employees because those positions are not guaranteed 12 months of work; he said the transportation group previously received a targeted raise. The board did not vote on the program during the informational presentation; Garza said the incentive had been included in the approved budget earlier and that staff planned to process the payments once the board meeting concluded.
Board members who spoke during the presentation expressed support for the program’s intent and asked questions about eligibility windows and how the program handles excused leaves.
The presentation clarified funding sources and eligibility rules and provided the board with data Garza said supports the program’s continuation.
