School Leaders to Get Back Pay That Was Missed

Curriculum leaders for grades 6-12 who weren't paid for four days of summer work for two years – but only recently discovered the oversight – will now be paid.

The School Committee has agreed to pay a cumulative $22,498.88 from the "excess and deficiency fund."

The curriculum leaders – a position similar to a department head – were owed for four days of work during the summer for two years.

The missed payments amounted to a base stipend plus $126 per curriculum leader for every teacher they supervise.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance Peter Gray said he began to research the issue when middle and high school Principal Matthew Fox e-mailed him that one of the curriculum leaders mentioned to him that they thought they had not been paid, which is called for in the union contract.

Gray said he asked the payroll coordinator if it had been paid and found that it hadn't been paid.

"We did a very thorough investigation," Gray said, adding he checked with former Assistant Superintendent for Finance Paul Szymanski.

Gray said there would be no impact on the budget. The only difference about paying the curriculum leaders now is that it comes from the "excess for deficiency fund" and not the regular budget.

"It wasn't like it was spent on something else," School Committee Chairwoman Alexa McCloughan said.

The committee's unanimous vote gives the OK for the payments to be made once the state Department of Revenue certifies the school district's "excess and deficiency fund" from last year's budget.