Beauregard Parish School Board amends retiree supplement policy for returning employees

BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. — The Beauregard Parish School Board voted Jan. 6 to amend policy GBA (Compensation, Contracts and Guidelines) so retirees who return to full‑time employment in the parish may receive both their retiree supplement and the supplement for the position they hold.

The change, adopted after public comment and board discussion, applies prospectively and will not be applied retroactively, board members said during the meeting.

Board members and staff framed the amendment as a narrow, pragmatic adjustment that affects a small number of people who have retired from the system and later returned to work. A staff member who presented the policy told the board, “As I said, through my research, there’s currently 8. There’s never been more than 10 who have returned full time,” and described the total fiscal impact as modest.

The policy change was proposed after a public comment from retiree and longtime parish employee Ellis Spikes, who said he had lost a small supplement after returning to work and urged the board to be fair to long‑serving employees. “Something is wrong with this picture,” Spikes said during public comment, describing inconsistency in who received supplements after returning from retirement.

During the committee discussion, board members and staff described two principal ways to view the issue: one that emphasizes fiscal restraint when an individual is receiving both a larger position supplement and a retiree supplement, and the other that treats supplements as recognition for long service to the parish. Staff noted that the number of affected retirees has historically been small and suggested the board could revisit the issue if the number of returning retirees grew significantly.

Board member Redler moved to amend the policy to add returning retirees as eligible for both supplements; the motion was seconded by board member Arsham and the amendment carried on a voice vote. The board then voted to approve the amended GBA policy; members approved the amendment and subsequent approval by voice vote, with no roll‑call tally provided in the minutes.

The board and staff clarified that the amendment will take effect going forward and will not require repayment for payments made previously in error. Staff also said the existing scheduling rules in the policy (for example, pro rata payments for hires after Sept. 30) remain in place.

The discussion touched on related operational details: staff said the parish uses state guidance on stipend pay codes for dual roles and that the parish has previously recognized dual‑role stipends in the payroll system. Board members pressed staff about numbers and timeline; staff identified the count of returning full‑time retirees as about eight and noted that, within that group, a small subset perform support roles such as bus driving.

The amended language will be incorporated into policy GBA and added to the parish’s procedural documents and payroll guidance so departments have a consistent process for applying the supplement rules, staff said.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment to policy GBA to allow retirees who return to full‑time positions to receive both the retiree supplement and the supplement for their position — Moved by Redler; seconded by Arsham; amendment carried by voice vote. - Approval of amended GBA policy (as amended) — Motion to approve carried by voice vote; board recorded no roll‑call tally in the committee minutes.

The board discussed but did not make the amendment retroactive; staff emphasized the change applies only to payments made after the policy amendment is effective.