Beauregard Parish School Board amends retiree‑supplement policy for returning full‑time employees

BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. — The Beauregard Parish School Board on Jan. 6, 2025 approved an amendment to Policy File GBA (Compensation, Contracts and Guidelines) to allow retirees who return to full‑time positions in the district to receive both the supplement for the position they hold and the retiree supplement going forward.

The amendment, offered from the board floor and adopted by voice vote, applies only to future pay periods; the board clarified the change will not be applied retroactively. The motion to add returning retirees to the supplement eligibility passed after staff outlined the district’s review and a public comment from a retired employee who said she had been affected by inconsistent payments.

The change came after public comment from Ellis Spikes, who said he retired in 2017 after 43 years with the district and described receiving and then losing a small retiree supplement after returning to work. “Be fair to those who have worked all of these years and then they retire,” Spikes told the board during the finance committee portion of the meeting.

District staff described the amendment as a targeted clarification. "Through my research, there’s currently eight (8) retirees who have returned full time — there’s never been more than 10 — so this is a small drop in the bucket," a staff member advising the board said during the discussion, noting the district could cap the program if the number of returning retirees grew substantially. The staff presentation said the change would follow the policy’s existing start‑date rules (for example, hires after Sept. 30 are treated differently for the Christmas supplement cycle).

Board members debated the policy from both fiscal and personnel perspectives. Supporters said allowing returning retirees to keep both supplements helps the district cover difficult vacancies — for example, certified staff who also drive bus routes — without hiring outside candidates. Others noted the district must weigh long‑term budget impacts if many retirees returned to work and received duplicate payments.

Board members amended the policy on the floor to specify the change would operate going forward (not retroactive), and the board approved the amended policy by voice vote.

What changed: The amended language adds returning full‑time retirees to the group eligible for position supplements while retaining their retiree supplement, subject to the same start‑date and proration rules already in policy GBA. The board directed that any payments made in error prior to the effective date would be handled administratively rather than triggering large retroactive adjustments.

The board’s action followed a broader discussion of how the district handles dual roles and stipends — a topic tied this year to state guidance and multiple new state laws affecting payroll and reporting — and staff said they will continue to monitor the number of returning retirees and the budgetary effect.

Next steps: The amendment takes effect going forward. Board members said they will revisit the policy if the number of returning retirees increases or if state guidance changes.

Votes and formal action: The amendment to Policy File GBA was proposed from the floor, seconded, adopted by voice vote, and the amended policy was subsequently approved by voice vote. The board recorded no roll‑call tally in the meeting minutes for this item.