GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County teachers held a rally outside of Monday's board of education meeting over a payroll system that they say still hasn't fixed issues from January.
Numerous teachers and other school staff members received incorrect pay or weren't paid at all due to a new state-mandated payroll system. Gaston County is one of the pilot districts for the new system, which is a step to modernize the outdated system used in schools across North Carolina.
In addition to payroll issues, the group claims cafeteria workers weren't paid the $20 an hour they were promised for summer school services. Pam Miller, the president of the Gaston chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said they had people signed up to speak during public comments at Monday's board meeting.
Superintendent Jeffrey Booker apologized to employees whose pay was incorrect, telling them in September the district was continuing work on "outstanding issues." That answer didn't satisfy educators at the town hall, who pointed out flaws with the payroll system that started in the second half of the 2021-22 school year.
Emails obtained by WCNC Charlotte showed that Gaston County Schools administrators were advised not to transition to the system. Eric Moore, the fiscal analyst for the General Assembly, said Gaston County Schools chose to implement the new system against recommendations from state leaders.
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