Paychecks for hundreds of DeKalb teachers, staff members delayed

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Union leaders are demanding answers and an audit after hundreds of DeKalb County teachers and staff did not get paid on time Friday.

President of The Organization of DeKalb Educators, Deborah Jones, said she predicted this would happen months ago.

“This started back in May when they changed over system,” said Jones.

She said the district changed payroll software, and some administrators and summer school teachers reported paycheck errors.

“Checks were not right. They were taking $1,000 here, $500 here, too much tax there,” said Jones. She said some did not get paid at all.

So, she warned the new Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton even more employees would be at risk when school started back up in August.

“He assured me that everybody would be paid, but my telephone has not stopped ringing,” said Jones.

In a statement, the district said approximately 300 new staff were not included in the payroll Friday.

“We’ve already processed payments for approximately 165 of these employees, and our payroll team is actively finalizing payments for the remaining staff, which is expected to be completed later today,” a district spokesman said.

Teachers said they already have late fees for not paying bills on time, and they want the district to fix that.

Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner called for an audit.

“Some of them have been owed money since June, some of them owed money as far back as May,” said Turner. “All this should have been straightened out before several hundred people weren’t paid.”

Jones wants the district to show its work and explain the issue and what has been done to try to fix it.

“People have rents to pay, they have mortgages they have car payments to pay, they have children going to school. You cannot afford not to be paid,” said Jones. “On top of all that, it is a holiday weekend. It is the end of Summer. People want to do things, but you cannot do anything without money.”