BCPS to change some employees from salary to hourly

The Burke County Board of Education members met at noon on a hot, summer day earlier this week to finalize one school year and lay the groundwork for the next.

Near the top of the June 24 agenda was a discussion about changes to a federal law that will impact the classification and compensation schedules of a still-unknown number of Burke school district employees.

Effective July 1, some employees will be reclassified from exempt (salary) to non-exempt (hourly). Effective August 2025, reclassified 10-month employees will experience a shift in when they will be paid. The compensation rate will stay the same. Teachers aren’t affected by the changes.

Updates to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) this past April triggered the modifications on the local level. The district will hold informational meetings to further explain the law. The first meeting is expected to be scheduled for August.

SALARY VS. HOURLY

FSLA is a U.S. law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for most workers in the private and public sectors. On April 23, the Department of Labor increased the salary threshold to qualify as an exempt employee under FLSA.

The current threshold ($844 per week, $43,888 over 12 months) will increase to $1,128 per week ($58,656 over 12 months) effective July 1, said Cheryl Shuffler, the school district’s public relations officer.

Employees who do not meet the new threshold may still be classified as exempt if their primary duty is teaching or if they are considered an “academic administrative” employee. Those not meeting the new salary requirements nor qualifying for an exemption will be paid as non-exempt, hourly employees.

During a June 17 school board meeting, school district Finance Officer Keith Lawson said 10-month positions working in business operations, building maintenance and management, student health, and academic staff who do not perform academic administrative duties may be reclassified.

“This includes 10-month office support, teacher assistants, therapists and therapy assistants, and child nutrition,” Lawson said. “For most 11- and 12-month salary positions, there will be little to no change. This does not affect teachers and academic administration employees.”

Burke County Public Schools will pay reclassified employees an hourly wage and require them to clock in and out. Reclassified employees will be eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time, something generally not available to exempt workers.

“We will work with these employees on making changes as to how they track their time to make sure they are correctly compensated, with comp time, at time-and-a-half after 40 hours of work a week,” Shuffler said.

COMPENSATION SCHEDULE CHANGES

The non-exempt reclassification will take effect July 1; however, changes to when employees are paid will be delayed until August 2025.

All employees are paid at the end of the month.

This year and years past, 10-month, non-teacher salaried employees are paid in advance of time worked. Despite coming to work in mid-August, they receive a full monthly check that month and receive their last paycheck of the school year in May, even though they work some in early June.

Next year when the shift in pay begins, employees will be paid in arrears. Those who start work in mid-August will get paid at the end of September for those weeks worked in August. The first full paycheck will be paid in October for hours worked in September. At the end of June, they will get their last paycheck, which will include the hours worked in May and the final days of work at the beginning of June to close out the end of the school year.

“We’re no longer allowed to pay in advance,” Lawson said.

According to a BCPS document titled, FSLA Exempt Salary Change Requirement, “these formerly salaried positions were paid ahead for hours not yet worked, and the employee was obligated to work or use their accrued leave for time they were paid for or be forced to take absences without pay and have salary amounts deducted from their checks, they will now be paid accurately for hours worked, using as little or as much accrued leave as is desired and permitted to fill their weekly hours.”

OTHER ACTION

Superintendent Raise, Contract Extension

Chairman Seth Hunt and each board member individually sang praises of Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan’s work in BCPS thus far. Feelings conveyed about Swan detailed his work ethic and deduction to BCPS which led to the board’s proposal of increased benefits for the superintendent.

The board approved a one-year contract extension to June 30, 2028. He will also receive a $20,000 salary increase, bringing his new salary to just over $210,000. If he prefers, Swan can designate the $20,000 to be added to his retirement contribution. He will also have five annual personal leave days and a $300 vehicle allowance. Changes are effective July 1.

Board Policies

Five board policies were all approved on second reading. Included in those items were parental inspection of and objection to education materials; testing and assessment program’ alternative learning programs/schools; student voter registration/preregistration; and dual enrollment of private, parochial, and home school students.

myFutureNC

The board voted and approved a partnership with myFuture NC. At the June 17 meeting, Kim Case presented the initiative of myFuture NC, a nonprofit organization that promotes the completion of a high-quality credential or post-secondary degree for 25- to 44-year-olds. The organization’s goal is 2 million by 2030 in North Carolina. For Burke County, the stretch goal is 10,206 individuals. The organization will partner with BCPS to achieve this goal.