Rochester schools report payroll ticket backlog shrank to about 214; district issues RFP to explore alternatives to Oracle
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Summary
Administration reported a decline in Oracle payroll tickets from about 1,800 in October to approximately 214 and said payroll runs are more stable; the district issued an RFP (responses due April 17) to evaluate alternative payroll platforms and aims for a recommendation by the June board meeting.
The Rochester City School District told the board on March 26 that its Oracle payroll backlog has shrunk substantially but that work remains on state reporting and platform stability.
Finance lead McDowell said the number of outstanding Jira tickets related to payroll fell from about 1,797 in October to roughly 214 as of the most recent review, crediting intensified remediation work with consultants and district staff.
"From 1,800 to 214, about ... 85 or 87% of the issues that we had known at that time have been identified, corrected," McDowell said, summarizing the technical progress.
Payroll operations: McDowell said payroll runs have become more predictable — with fewer weekend reruns — and that the district has nearly resolved its W‑2 issues (fewer than five unique outstanding cases remain). He cautioned that TRS submissions continue to require work; district staff decided to redevelop a submission model after repeated rejections from the state.
Vendor support and costs: The district said it has relied heavily on external vendors (Novo Motus and Cherry Road) and has increased consultant hours well above initial expectations; administration warned the extra vendor time could generate reconciliation or contract costs that will be reported to the board.
Exploring alternatives: District leaders said they released an RFP to explore other payroll platforms. The deadline for vendor responses was moved from April 10 to April 17 to allow thorough internal review; administration said site visits and reference checks are expected and that a recommendation would likely land on the June board agenda (the team aims for May but cautioned that due diligence may take longer).
Board reaction: Members thanked staff for the progress and emphasized the importance of getting payroll right for employees. Superintendent Rosser underscored the need to "do this the right way," given the impact on staff paychecks and prior disruptions.
Next steps: Administration will continue remediation work, provide updates on TRS and W‑2 fixes, report potential reconciliation costs related to consultant usage, and evaluate vendor proposals received in response to the RFP.
