Vermilion Parish School System employees may be getting an unexpected 13th check worth $1,200

Every full-time employee who works for and receives salary and benefits for the Vermilion Parish School District this past school year may be getting an extra check based on Monday night’s Finance Committee recommendation.
At tonight’s school board meeting, the board will vote on the 13th check and how much the check will be.
At Monday’s finance committee meeting, Eric Johnson, the chief financial officer of the school district, educated the school board members that at the end of the fiscal year, the school district finished the school year with a positive fund balance of $4.6 million. The fund is dedicated to salary and benefits. Johnson said that was about $1.2 million more than he had budgeted at the start of the year.
With the extra funds, the school board has to decide what to do with the extra money. Their choices are to put the excess revenue into the general fund or share it with all employees.
“I felt it necessary to ask the school board what to do with the excess money,” said Johnson.
School Board member Kevin Meyers, head of the finance committee, asked Johnson if it was possible to give all school employees an extra check (13th check).
Johnson said the 13th check could be possible, but he explained that this was a “one-time” check and there was no guarantee they would get a 13th check at the end of the next school year.
Then a discussion took place on how much to give to each employee.
“When the taxes for these were passed years ago, the intention of the board and the way it was brought to the voters is that it would be dedicated to salaries and benefits,” said Superintendent Tommy Byler. “For the past nine years the excess revenue has been used to offset rising retirement costs as acceptable by law. We have worked really hard to look at our budget in ways that would allow the opportunity for the employee 13th check and we feel like we are in a position to do so. I am please that the board would agree and have us look into this action.”
• If the school board awarded each employee a $1,200 check (around $1,000 after taxes), it would cost the school district $1.8 million.
• A $1,000 check (around $800 after taxes) would cost the board $1.6 million and a $600 check (around $400 after taxes) would cost the board $1.2 million.
School Board member Chris Hebert asked Johnson if a $1,200 check would put the school district in a financial bind.
“No,” replied Johnson. “Not at this time.”
Meyers recommended that the school board committee give a 13th check worth $1,200.
School Board member Jason Roy said it had been about 10 years since the last time a 13th check was given to employees.
“I am happy it will be coming back,” said Roy. “It is going back to where it belongs.
“It will be a morale booster,” said school board member David Dupuis. “I want to thank everyone for all they do.”
The last time the 13th check was funded through the excess tax millages was in July of 2014.