Certified employees raise pay and schedule concerns after three middle schools assign extra non-instructional duty

Members of the district's Certified Personnel Policy Committee (PPC) told the Little Rock School District Board of Education on Aug. 25 that certified employees at three secondary schools — including one K–8 — are being assigned up to 60 minutes of non-instructional duty before or after school in addition to substitute assignments, a practice the PPC says conflicts with adopted policy guidelines and could lead to unpaid or underpaid work.

At the board meeting the PPC representative explained that board-adopted policy allows elementary certified employees to be assigned up to 60 minutes per week of non-instructional duty without additional compensation and that secondary certified employees should fulfill non-instructional duty by subbing one period per week (or equivalent for block schedules). The committee said that in three schools principals had created duty schedules requiring staff to come in 15–30 minutes early or stay late on multiple days and then also to sub in the same week, which could trigger additional compensation under policy.

The PPC highlighted that the district's stipend schedule lists AM, PM and lunch duty stipends; it said staff who sub in the same week they perform additional duty could be owed daily-rate compensation rather than the lower stipend listed on district schedules. PPC urged employees to track duty hours and raised the prospect of a group grievance if unresolved.

Board members asked whether the PPC had followed internal channels; PPC said it had raised the matter in committee and requested action but had not yet received a definitive HR response. Superintendent Dr. Wright told the board the duty assignments appear to have originated at individual campuses and that administration had not centrally ordered the change. Wright said HR would follow up and asked to report back to the board at its September meeting.

Ending: The board requested administration investigate the three-school practice, clarify which duties are compensable under board policy and report findings and any corrective action at the board's next business meeting in September.