JACKSON, Mich — In last month's Jackson Public Schools (JPS) Board of Education meeting agenda, there was an item called "bond extra duty contracts". What this referred to, according to the board packet, was a proposal to provide extra pay — in total, about $266,000 — over the next 5 years to some of the district's top staff.
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The ostensible purpose of this extra pay is to compensate top staff for the amount of time it will take to oversee measures related to the bond proposal that was recently approved by voters for various improvements to the district.
Last month it was just up for discussion. The board was expected to make a decision Tuesday night.
I asked several board members for their opinion about the extra duty pay proposal ahead of the meeting, and Derek Dobies responded.
Dobies wrote to me: "By approving extra duty compensation for the talented staff who will lead this work, we're putting the right people at the helm, people who know our buildings, know our students' needs, and are uniquely equipped to see this project through...".
Dobies also wrote that keeping the work in-house should save about 70% of what it would cost to outsource the same services.
Some, like longtime Jackson Public Schools Board of Education observer and JPS parent William Hastings, question why salaried employees should receive extra duty pay.
"There is no extra duty pay for teachers," says Hastings. "Or others, other salaried employees or contract employees at JPS....You're agreeing to a certain set of pay and benefits in exchange for doing all the work that, that that job entails."
Hastings also questions the timing of the proposed extra duty pay, coming in a year that saw budget and staff reductions at JPS.
I'll have a full report for you after tonight's Board meeting.
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