(Bartlett, TN) In just twelve days, Shelby County Schools will officially merge with Memphis City Schools.
When that happens, and Shelby County administrators and central office staff get their first paycheck, it will only include pay for five days so the districts can merge their payroll.
They are used to getting a full check every two weeks and many of their bills depend on it.
“This merger is a total cluster. But it is what it is and we’re going to work through it,” said unified board member David Reeves.
Reeves doesn’t feel so good about the merger, especially since its coming with a cost for people who never asked for or expected the merger, “I think the district is ready to operate I don’t necessarily think they are ready for the issues that are going to come up straight away. I think there’s going to be a lot of learning to do. A lot of things that don’t work right.”
Public outcry stopped a similar plan from happening to teachers.
“What is also not right is to put people in a bad situation without a lot of notice so we’re going to work on that,” said Superintendent Dorsey Hopson about the pay schedule problems.
He said they should have been resolved months ago to give employees more notice, but they never realized it hadn’t been taken up.
The district is offering SCS administrators an option.
They can take a check for just five work days July 5 or thy can trade five vacation days for their full paycheck.
SCS employees will not lose any money.
Those other five days will be added to their next paycheck.
Because of the way the pay schedule will be structured MCS administrators and central staff will not miss any pay checks.
