Greene County board weighs $34,000 in one-time HF 2612 funds for support staff, leans toward hourly increase

The Greene County board considered how to spend roughly $34,000 the district received under HF 2612 for educational support personnel, settling on a tentative preference for an hourly increase rather than a one-time lump-sum payment.

A district staff member explained that the state allocation translated to about $29,000 after employer taxes and that the money must be used for salaries or wages for educational support personnel. "It's one-time use only funds," the staff member said, adding the amount equates to roughly $375'$380 per person if divided across about 75 non-teaching staff or approximately $0.30 per hour as an hourly increase.

Board discussion weighed three approaches: a one-time lump-sum bonus, a temporary hourly increase, or targeted retention/signing payments. Trustees noted that lump-sum payments are taxed at higher rates and could result in less take-home pay for employees; an hourly increase would be simpler to distribute quickly but would require the board to decide whether to budget that higher rate in future years.

One board member asked whether the district could afford converting the one-time money into a small permanent wage increase, noting the district is already budgeting for fewer staff this year. The staff member said the district had increased paraeducator wages in prior years and cautioned that embedding a one-time increase into the ongoing salary schedule would obligate future budgets.

Although no formal motion was required or made at the meeting, staff reported that peer districts largely favored an hourly distribution and several trustees expressed a preference to move in that direction while communicating clearly to employees that the funds are one-time. The board asked staff to prepare the mechanics for distribution and to outline the budget implications for next year before formalizing the approach.