We are where we are because of the continued disregard of experienced employees, said Michelle Lawless, an ed tech and former ed tech union president. Former Portland Board of Education director Emily Figdor offered an apology to members of the Portland school community over the ongoing payroll debacle in a special letter to the Portland Press Herald over the weekend. Hoose wrote that she was told staffing was the main cause, which officials confirmed at meetings on Nov. 10 and Nov. 15. The district put a certain amount of money in the fund and will replenish it as necessary. You are not prioritizing your staff and by extension our students are hurting, elementary school teacher Jean Rank said. Portland Public Schools. The release stated the board would not be open to discussion or public comment following the 4 p.m. meeting Friday. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. That left the district without staff familiar with the districts payroll processes trying to manage the payroll system that auditors had previously warned had significant issues. In addition to trying to quickly get its underlying payroll issues solved, the district is having its payroll system audited, something the districts employee unions advocated for. Allan Thomas Vigil, 31, appeared in the . Portland Public Schools has roughly 1,450 employees, including approximately 700 teachers. Employee Self-Service - Portland Public Schools Staff > Employee Self-Service Employee Self-Service The Employee Self-Service (ESS)formally known as Employee Access Center (EAC)provides employees a look into their Human Resources/Payroll profile. All Rights Reserved. Im devastated by the harm weve caused and laser-focused on both ensuring staff are paid their very hard-earned money and fixing the systemic problems so nothing like this can happen again. Department Main Page Payroll Services Department Finance Division Mission Statement Support equitable outcomes for students through transparent stewardship of resources and effective financial processes and services, emphasizing collaboration, responsible customer service and continuous improvement. Auto & Boat Registration. The boards chairwoman at the time, Emily Figdor, said the districts finance committee had been discussing the results of the audit since May and had worked with district officials to change the structure of the finance department and create and fund two new department positions. The next Benefits Open Enrollment will be May 2024. THEY'LL COMPLETE THA. Then, click the Board tab at the top right, and then "BoardDocs.". Suggested Searches payroll coordinator payroll administrator payroll supervisor payroll analyst payroll accountant payroll specialist Create Job Alert Portland school officials plug payroll problems as audit nears He believes they were all paid Monday. The Portland Public Schools is Maine's largest school district, with approximately 6,500 students, and is also the most diverse. During a school board meeting on Tuesday, one resident called for more transparency. First Day of School View Calendar The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Wednesday, September 6, 2023. We have failed our staff whom we have not paid accurately or on time. Enter your email and password to access comments. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Botana said rebuilding the districts payroll system from scratch is key to transitioning to an outsourced system down the road and that he hopes outsourcing will be done by spring. Lori Schools, CPP - Payroll Manager - City of Portland, Maine - LinkedIn You will receive an email to complete the registration. Our schools serve over 6,000 students from from four year olds to adults. Heres why. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Notice of Non-Discrimination, Policies, Inquiries, and Complaint Procedures. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer. Portland Public Schools: $115,318: Donald Siviski: MSAD 16: $114,676: Judith Harvey: MSAD 50: $113,568: Leon . Audit results confirm Portland Schools' payroll staffing issues Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. I implore them both to do the right thing for their community and resign, teacher Ileen Daponte said of Botana and Figdor. In a recent instance, lunch aides were not paid on Friday, when they should have been, Botana said. Superintendent Xavier Botana did not respond to questions Wednesday about how the audit might be related to the districts ongoing payroll issues. Employee Self ServiceAccess Pay History, W2 Forms(Click Here). The districts response in the audit on Sept. 22 said theyre exploring a solution outsourcing payroll to a private company though the timeline for that potential change may extend into late next year. Payroll Updates & Information. Apply For. Success. ESS allows you at-your-fingertips information to view, verify and/or print as needed. Watch this video to see what sets Portland Public Schools apart. By Randy Billings Staff Writer. IT'S A LOT OF JUMBLED THOUGHTS." This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Watch our video to learn more about working for Portland Public Schools, and life in Maine! When the public comment period ended Sarah Lentz, who took over for Figdor as board chair Monday, apologized on behalf of the district and pledged to do better. Payroll for the majority of the districts approximately 1,500 employees is unaffected. An ed tech who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution told the Phoenix on Monday that they reported incorrect sick pay totals last week but have not yet heard from a case manager. Enter your email and password to access comments. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. The annual State of the Schools address is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19, at the city council meeting. The release stated, "Staff turnover, a complex payroll system, and an internet system outage in November" only added to the district's struggle to pay its more than 1,500 employees in the fall. Google Apps Login. Another said the district owes them more than $1,000. It is the districts job to ensure their employees get paid on time as promised.. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Portland school officials said they are working to rectify the payroll issues, but that the underlying causes that led to some employees being paid late, inaccurately or not at all for multiple pay periods remain unresolved. Human Resources supports this aspect of the district's mission by processing educational assistance funding requests submitted by educators and support staff for seminars and college courses. The report from Spinglass Management Group, LLC confirmed that lack of staffing what PPS had pointed to as the root cause of its payroll discrepancies dating . Staff members with lingering payroll issues were told that a case manager would be reaching out to them last week to begin solving the problem. Our team works to ensure that educators and support staff can devote their full attention to achieving the district's mission of educational excellence for all students in a safe and nurturing environment. Figdor stepped down as School Board Chair last week, ceding the role to Sarah Lentz. He is hoping that task will be completed within five weeks. To access your tax account, please click on the Citizen Self Service button on the left. Create one. Arts Calendar: July 28-Aug. 4 - Press Herald A lack of employee training and clear understanding of our payroll processes, a payroll system that was not fully built-out as well as gaps in process documentation have made it difficult for others to step in and support the department and have caused gaps in employee pay (wages, additional pay, etc) for a number of employees in the last three pay cycles, Botana said in the statement. View frequently requested information from the City of Portland. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Don't have a commenting profile? Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer. Only Letters and Spaces (Must contain only letters and spaces), Community Finalist Interview Feedback Form, Superintendent's Portland Forecaster Column, Spanish Immersion and International Baccalaureate, Criminal History Record Check (CHRC) Process, Non-Discrimination, Policies, Inquiries, and Complaint Procedures. Payroll Update - February 6, 2023 - Spinglass Report Attached This letter from interim co-superintendents Melea Nalli and Aaron Townsend includes report completed by Spinglass Management Group from their audit of our payroll practices. "MEGAN, THIS REPORT FOUND THAT ONE FULL TIME AND ONE PART TIME EMPLOYEE WERE HANDLING PAYROLL FOR A STAFF OF 19 HUNDRED PEOPLE." Sincerely, Learn how you can make donations to the City of Portland community. From $18.96 an hour. Meanwhile, our adult education program serves 4,500 lifelong learners annually, including 2,000 English language learners from 81 countries. Info: Email Kathe Beem . The MOU states that an audit of the district's payroll, by Spinglass LLC, is expected to be completed by the end of January. They also called for the district to listen to its employees and demanded a resolution and accountability regarding the payroll issue. The figure is a large uptick from the estimated 140 impacted employees reported by the district on Dec. 6. PORTLAND, Maine Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana announced plans on Friday to step down from his position in 2023. One full-time employee and one part-time employee were responsible for payroll for 1,900 staff members. Portland Public Schools released the findings of an independent payroll audit on Tuesday. The district received a letter of intent and a proposal from ADP, a management services company that offers payroll oversight. Employment. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. That has left us with staff who do not know the multiple workarounds and exceptions that exist in our system, all of which are poorly documented, Botana said at the Nov. 15 school board meeting, adding that, the district has redeployed HR staff to work on data entry.. Maine Portland superintendent resigns, citing ongoing payroll issues Maine Public | By Carol Bousquet Published December 19, 2022 at 10:09 AM EST The Portland School Board has accepted the resignation of Superintendent Xavier Botana. I recognize that, in the moment, I should have been more gracious. The Portland Public School district has now received complaints or queries about the schools payroll system from roughly half of its staff. I am committed to assisting the board as it sees appropriate in the transition, Botana said in Friday's release. Portland Public Schools (Maine) Payroll Manager, Job in Portland, ME While I have worked tirelessly to find solutions, and we reached an agreement with the [Portland Education] Association regarding [the] next steps to ensure that all staff are paid accurately and on time, I think it is in the districts best interest that I step aside and allow new leadership to bring closure to these matters.. The superintendent cited "district payroll issues" as the primary reason for his decision to leave the position. That audit found that material misstatements were not detected and corrected in a timely manner.. Employee Self-Service - Portland Public Schools How did we get here? Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Heres why. In late October, the district accidentally overpaid a group of employees by a total of $57,335 and the money was not recouped for at least 10 days, according to emails obtained from the city on Monday in response to a Freedom of Access Act request. PORTLAND (WGME) -- Months after payroll problems within Portland Public Schools were made public, internal communications among district leaders have shed new light on the timeline of. Solutions to payroll problems for employees of Portland Public Schools could take well into next year, officials say, after several pay periods during which the district failed to pay certain hourly employees in a timely manner. Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana answers a question from school board member Abusana Bondo during a meeting on Tuesday. Shoshana Hoose, an ESL teacher at Portland Adult Education since 2014, published a letter in the Phoenix on Nov. 11. describing payroll issues that have affected at least 50 hourly teachers, including herself, which started in October. BUT SOME LOCALS SAY THEY STILL WANT A MORE ANSWERS. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. Botana offered his resignation to the Portland Board of Education at an executive session at 4 p.m. Friday. Submit information to the City of Portland departments, boards, Council, and more. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com. $20. Several had reportedly not received correct retroactive pay owed to them as a result of signing a new contract in October. "How did we get here? Former Portland School Board Chair on Payroll Debacle: Im Sorry, Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112, Maine Democrats Join Middle Class Joe Biden for Wolfes Neck Fundraiser, Maine State Senator Tells Biden to Give Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Clemency at Auburn Visit, Video: Maine House Speaker Rants About Failure of Liberal Democrat White Women, House Republicans Hold Hearing on Dangers and Due Process Violations of Gender-Affirming Care for Children, National Coordinated Political Attack on Conservatives Hits Maine: Were losing the way life should be, Socialist U.S. Multiple members of the Rockland-area school board have said they received hate mail espousing white supremacist viewpoints in early July. And it comes amid a backlash against public schools for seeking to honor the identities of all of our students and staff, create belonging and teach history accurately and honestly. Exactly what caused the overpayments is unclear. And we have failed our entire Portland Public Schools staff for not communicating better as the crisis unfolded. Use the form below to reset your password. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Make a Donation. I-Team: Internal emails shed new light on Portland Public Schools Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer. Following their union leaders, at least a dozen employees stood up to voice their displeasure with the school board, questioned why the district, with its $133 million budget, has failed to get payroll done accurately for multiple pay periods and consistently accused the district of gaslighting its employees. Translation Library. Elementary School, Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Portland Public Schools release independent payroll audit report - WMTW Other employees implied the same. The Portland Public School District has paid $70,000 to 392 employees who were impacted by the district's fall payroll issues in which hundreds of the district's 1,500 employees went unpaid. I am writing today as an individual member of the Portland Board of Education, not on its behalf, she said. The problems have occurred for some hourly staff with complex payroll situations, Superintendent of Schools Xavier Botana said. The investigation points to staffing shortfalls as the main cause of payroll issues in the district. Portland, ME. A lack of pay at any time of year is really difficult, but at this time of year it can be overwhelming, she said, later referencing rising costs of goods and services and the holidays. These are the people working so hard for our kids, our community and our future.. Payroll for the majority of the district's approximately 1,500 employees is unaffected. Portland Public Schools have reached an agreement to resolve - WMTW An independent audit has confirmed that understaffing, a lack of internal controls and software issues combined to cause Portland Public Schools' recent payroll problems. Maya Lena, a substitute teacher who spoke Tuesday, said she has been working at Rowe Elementary School since October but has not been paid at all. Another employee said the district owes them over a thousand dollars and Portland Education Association President Kerrie Dowdy said union members have reached out to her needing immediate financial assistance to pay rent or buy food for their children due to not being paid appropriately. The Bath man accused of setting the Dike Newell elementary school on fire in June 2022 had his plea hearing delayed Wednesday. Portland Phoenix, 251 US-1, Falmouth ME 04105 Infinite Campus. An. Portland Public Schools has come to a legally binding agreement with Portland Education Association to resolve payroll issues in the district, according to a . That has left us with staff who do not know the multiple workarounds and exceptions that exist in our system, all of which are poorly documented, Botana said at the Nov. 15 school board meeting, adding thatthe district has redeployed HR staff to work on data entry.. The figure expands the number of people who have been potentially impacted by a payroll system that has failed to pay wages to a portion of staff members in the correct amount, on time or at all in some cases. Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. 27 years 5 months Payroll Manager Mar 1996 - Present27 years 5 months Portland, Maine, United States Financial Specialist Mar 1996 - Present27 years 5 months Weekly payroll processing of. More than 50 Portland school district employees packed a school board meeting Tuesday night to voice their concerns about the payroll problems that have plagued the district since October, with many saying they have lost their trust and faith in the district. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. This was well before I understood that our payroll system was in crisis. Instead, our payroll staff manually worked around the system, and when those staff were not there to run payroll two left in recent months, and one went on emergency medical leave in October the staff who stepped in did not know all of those manual workarounds. Outsourcing its payroll system remains the school districts long-term plan for the issues they are currently having. Lentz, who became chair of the board on Monday and joined the board this summer, said she is working to get up to speed on the payroll developments, as well as other district duties. It also comes nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic the hardest years in the careers of many, if not most, of our educators, she said. We failed you, multiple times, she said. For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app. Number of courts: 4. Portland Public Schools released the findings of an independent payroll audit on Tuesday. The network outage hit the Central Office late on Wednesday, according to district communications manager Tess Nacelewicz. Carol Bahcofner, of Rockland, said that she and other . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Absolutely, we are so grateful for their time and expertise. Several years ago, the district moved to a new software system, MUNIS, which the city also uses, and it was not set up correctly.. The Promise lays out four goals and related strategies for the next five years. Elizabeth Capone-Newton, a parent of a student in the district, wrote in an email to city staff that the district is taking an individual approach to a widespread issue. Portland school board chair says payroll woes more widespread than PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELEASING THE FINDINGS FROM AN INDEPENDENT PAYROLL AUDIT TODAY. Game On: Thankful for the toy department, Into the Wild: Maines next official state wildlife. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. I want to offer my deepest apology to every Portland Public Schools staff member for the breakdown of our payroll system. Press Esc to cancel. She wrote that employees enter their time worked on a Google sheet and that if they enter incorrect hours they will be duplicate paid, triple paid so crazy., There is no evidence included in the emails obtained by the Press Herald that indicates employees purposely filled out their time sheets incorrectly. Portland school employees take district to task over payroll issues, Audit flags issues with Portland school department finances, Union and school officials reach agreement on how and when district will remedy payroll issues, Our live updates from Bidens visit to Maine, Windham woman remembered for compassion, artistry and commitment to family, The future of Portlands Time & Temperature Building is back in limbo, David Geary, Godfather of Maine craft beer, dies at 78, President Biden visits Maine to tout economic plans, sign order to boost manufacturing. , It is the districts job to ensure their employees get paid on time as promised., Portland school board rejected citys offer to help with payroll problems, Portland school district says ed techs have been paid correctly, with back pay, Auditors warned Portland school officials about potential payroll problems, Our live updates from Bidens visit to Maine, Windham woman remembered for compassion, artistry and commitment to family, The future of Portlands Time & Temperature Building is back in limbo, David Geary, Godfather of Maine craft beer, dies at 78, President Biden visits Maine to tout economic plans, sign order to boost manufacturing. View. Heres why. Portland School District resolves payroll issue for ed techs - WMTW An audit submitted last spring and discussed by city and school officials in September warned about problems that appear to have contributed to some employees not being paid correctly or on time since October. Those occur mostly when hourly staff are in more than a single position and those positions receive different compensation levels; when people change positions; when they receive stipends or other alternative compensations; and when they use vacation days on unpaid days, Botana told the district in a Nov. 15 letter. The district has taken money from its general fund to set up a fund to support employees who were not paid accurately and are subsequently facing late, overdraft and interest fees, Botana said. News - Portland Public Schools Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The school system reached an agreement with the Portland Education Association in Dec. to reimburse employees for late fees and debts owed as a result of late paychecks. Already registered? Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE), Early Learners Department (Pre-K and Kindergarten), Information Technology (see Office of Technology & Information Services), Office of Strategic Partnerships & Engagement, Office of Technology & Information Services, Strategic Project Management Office (SPMO), Humanities (Previously ICA. It identified a combination of school district finance department issues, including a lack of payroll oversight, documentation and checks and balances, and a failure by the district to complete important accounting tasks in a timely manner. Commentary: Portland Public Schools' payroll breakdown is - Reddit The district currently has one employee fluent in using the payroll system MUNIS, a product of the Texas-based software firm Tyler Technologies, after two recent departures.

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