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Board approves temporary compensation requests amid debate over policy and process; 5–1 vote
Summary
The Board of Education approved a set of temporary compensation adjustments (Exhibit A) intended to pay staff who assumed additional duties while positions were vacant. The vote followed extensive discussion about policy, timing and the 5–15% guideline for temporary pay; the motion passed 5–1.
The Board of Education approved Exhibit A — a package of temporary compensation recommendations for staff who assumed additional duties during administrative vacancies and other short-term needs — after a contentious discussion about the district’s policy and process for assigning and compensating temporary duties.
Several board members and administrators debated the appropriate sequence and documentation for temporary assignments, referencing board policy described in the meeting as “policy 222.1, rule 2” (temporary administrative assignments) and discussing whether temporary work had in some cases become effectively permanent without a clear end date. Board member Juan Romero criticized the recurring use of temporary arrangements and urged a more structural approach to job descriptions and compensation; he said the current approach produced “band-aid” solutions and risked burnout and inconsistency. Romero also noted he believed some temporary assignments were inconsistent with the policy’s spirit and asked for a clearer, longer-term plan.
Others urged care in balancing fairness to staff who took on extra duties and the need to follow board policy. Board member Megan Miller urged that employees who were assigned work be paid for the duties they performed and warned against penalizing staff for administrative choices. Dr. Garrison and Executive Director of Human Resources Missus Almendarez explained that many of the roles being covered earlier in the year had been budgeted positions for the 2024–25 school year and that temporary compensation requests reflected work performed while the district navigated vacancies and recently approved position eliminations for the next budget cycle.
After extended discussion the board approved the Exhibit A motions. The meeting record shows a roll-call style outcome recorded as 5 in favor and 1 opposed. The board directed administration and HR to review policy implementation and to return with recommendations about how to handle future temporary assignments, timing for submission of requests and whether policy adjustments are needed to reduce future “ad hoc” requests.
