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Board grills staff on proposed hurricane‑response bonuses after staff tally $112,000 cost
Summary
District staff told the board a proposed hurricane‑response bonus would total about $85,000 in wages and roughly $112,000 when benefits and retirement are included, and board members urged clearer, more consistent protocols before approving payouts.
District staff presented a proposed one‑time bonus for employees who worked during the September–October hurricane response period and explained the methodology and cost. The discussion centered on fairness, consistency and funding sources.
Staff reported they reviewed employees who reported to work and calculated a total of about 4,973 hours worked during the 16‑day hurricane response window. The wage cost was about $85,000; including retirement and benefits the total rises to about $112,000. Staff described a procedure used to standardize compensation for salaried staff (a prorated hourly stipend that yielded roughly $12.50 per hour maximum for salaried employees) and said hourly staff (maintenance, transportation, nutrition contractors) received their normal hourly or overtime rates.
Board members raised several concerns: some said the distribution looked inconsistent across schools and job categories; others said central‑office staff can more easily control their schedules than hourly staff and that frontline teams (nutrition, transportation, maintenance) clearly should be prioritized. One board member noted that Buncombe County had taken similar action and that a modest district bonus would be consistent with local practice.
Staff said they could use some remaining ESSER indirect funds and that, because the total is modest relative to reserves, any fund balance draw would likely be minimal. Staff also said they could issue bonuses in December or January depending on board timing and payroll processing.
The board did not vote on the bonus during the session; staff will place the item on the Dec. 9 consent or action agenda and provide additional documentation and proposed funding sources. Several board members urged staff to develop a written protocol for future emergency‑response compensation.
