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District seeks earlier deadline for degree verification; union worries about official transcript timing
Summary
The district proposed moving the deadline to notify HR of completed advanced degrees from Nov. 1 to Oct. 1 to avoid retroactive pay; the union worried official transcripts may not be available by that date and asked for language allowing an unofficial transcript until the official copy arrives.
District staff proposed changing the contract so that employees who earn advanced degrees must notify Human Resources with supporting transcripts on or before Oct. 1 (currently Nov. 1). The stated goal: reduce retroactive pay, administrative work and earlier placement on the salary schedule.
"Following placement on appendix A under section A advanced degrees, the professional employee must secure the advanced degree and notify the district on or before October one versus November one," a district presenter said, adding that earlier notification reduces the need for retroactive payroll adjustments.
Bargaining‑unit members raised a practical concern: universities and providers sometimes delay sending official transcripts, particularly when a program ends late or a vendor has system outages. A union participant described earlier instances—citing a college whose system outage delayed official records—and asked whether an unofficial transcript should be allowed as interim proof so employees are not penalized for administrative delays.
District HR said the district prefers an official transcript but was open to crafting language that acknowledged exceptional circumstances and allowed HR to work with employees when colleges have documented delays. Both sides agreed to draft wording that clarifies whether an unofficial transcript can serve as temporary notification and to circulate a counterproposal.
Next steps: HR to draft alternative language addressing official/unofficial transcript handling and return a counterproposal for bargaining unit review.
