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Parent tells Ames board district rules force some education associates to choose between benefits and family
Summary
A parent asked the Ames Community School District board to review rules that he says prevent education associates from reducing hours without losing benefits or quitting and being rehired after a 26-week waiting period.
Jared Beckham, a resident and parent, told the Ames Community School District Board of Directors during public comment that his wife, a level 3 special education associate at Meeker Elementary, was told she could not reduce her hours this school year without losing eligibility for employee benefits.
Beckham said his wife had informed school administrators last spring of her intention to move to part-time status so she could take their oldest son to Ames Middle School, which starts at 8:40 a.m. One week before the school year began, he said, staff told her the district would not allow the change because her prior full-time status made her eligible for benefits the district must offer to employees who average 30 or more hours per week (or about 130 hours per month).
Beckham said the district presented three options: stay late each day to preserve full-time hours, transfer to the middle school (which would create an afternoon pickup conflict for the couple), or quit and wait 26 weeks for rehiring at entry-level pay. He said unpaid leave for 26 weeks is effectively unavailable because the Ames Community School District support staff handbook permits unpaid leave only in emergencies or extenuating circumstances and only after approval.
"None of these options seemed reasonable," Beckham said. He told the board he believes other education associates have left the district rather than accept those choices and that children with special needs depend on the continuity those associates provide.
Beckham asked the board to add his concern to a future agenda for discussion.
Why it matters: Education associates provide classroom and behavioral support for students with special needs. Changes in staffing or a pattern of departures among experienced associates could affect classroom continuity and special education services.
What board members heard: Beckham described a district benefits calculation tied to the average hours worked over the prior year, which he said triggers the requirement to offer benefits under the Affordable Care Act when the average equals or exceeds the 30-hour-per-week threshold. He suggested the district could continue benefits for one year after a move to part-time status to avoid forcing experienced associates to quit and reapply.
The board did not take formal action during public comment. Beckham concluded by asking the board to place the issue on a future meeting agenda for staff and board review.
