EDINBURG — Repeated payroll snafus at Edinburg CISD prompted concern and criticism at the school board’s meeting last Tuesday.
School board member Letty Garcia said around 6:15 a.m. that morning employees began texting her to voice their concerns about a variety of errors in their paychecks. Some had no money; others had far too much.
“They didn’t see their money in the account. Zero,” she said. “There was employees who received $5,000 over what their pay was for their services that they worked in this district.”
The incident was upsetting, Garcia said.
“And the reason I bring that up is because our employees are expecting to get paid,” she said. “They work hard and they expect their money in a timely manner when they normally always get it once a month. So it’s upsetting to know that this is the second time that something has happened with the payroll of our district.”
School district spokesperson Lisa Ayala Hettler did not reply with more information on the incidents as of press time Tuesday.
It appears the other incident Garcia referenced occurred July 23.
The district’s branch of the American Federation of Teachers posted on social media that day that it had received several messages about a direct deposit problem.
The AFT attached an email to the post sent out by ECISD DIrector of Payroll and Employee Benefits Zelda M. Lopez earlier that day.
In that email Lopez addressed the direct deposit problem, characterizing it as “an issue in the banking process” with Lone Star National Bank and writing that she expected payments to be credited that day.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding,” she wrote
Garcia asked to talk to Lopez about those incidents at last Wednesday’s meeting, but she wasn’t present. In lieu of that, Garcia voiced her frustration to the board about the incidents, describing them as demonstrating a lack of oversight.
“Well, that individual pressed a button without reviewing anything,” she said.
Conversation on that topic was brief at the meeting. Legal counsel indicated it was a more appropriate topic to discuss under personnel items, possibly in closed session.
