Overpaid School Employees Ordered to Pay Back Thousands to Alabama School District

At least three overpaid school employees have come out to the press to reveal that they received a letter from an Alabama school district ordering them to repay $22,000 to $33,000 due to years of miscalculation of their wages.

Per WBRC, the third overpaid school employee, who received the letter from Chilton County Schools, works as a bus driver. Alabama Educator's Association (AEA) representative, Tracy LeSieur, said that the worker received the notice of overpayment in January 2022 before the school cafeteria lunch manager, Christie Payne, the first employee, who went to the press, got hers in early April.

The second employee is Shellie Smith, a former school nurse who became a teacher. Despite years of work, they all had no idea of the miscalculations in their wages.

Overpaid School Employees Offered Payment Plans

Payne owed Chilton County Schools $23,465.40 in overpayment for the last six years. The school district explained that, following her promotion, she was given a salary that was supposed to be for another worker.

The lunch manager was given options for a payment plan. She could agree to a monthly payment of $325.91 for 72 months, a yearly payment of $3,910.90 for six years, or a lumpsum payment.

LeSieur said that Payne has not yet agreed to a payment term, despite being given just days to make arrangements with the school district. Payne's letter stated that she would be charged an interest amounting to $254 if she didn't pay the money back. So, she brought her case to the AEA, where a legal team was tasked to review the discrepancies.

On the other hand, Smith owed the school $32,958 in overpayment and had a four-year payment plan, according to Al.Com. As with Payne, her salary after her promotion to a teacher was miscalculated beginning in 2018. Before this, she worked as a school nurse for 12 years.

Smith is also the wife of Chris Smith, a school board member, who will be sitting at the meetings with Chilton County's Superintendent Jason Griffin to discuss these overpayment cases. The board is due to reconvene in May following a break.

The bus driver, whose name was not revealed by CBS 42, said he was overpaid $10,182. He has been working for the school district for two decades. However, unlike Payne and Smith, the bus driver wasn't given a specific time frame to make arrangements with the school district. He has not responded to the school but brought his case also to the AEA. He is refusing to pay as this was not their mistake.

Chilton County Schools: No Comment

A notice on the official site of the Chilton County Schools stated that there would be no comments on these specific cases. The school district also said they are mandated to "recoup any overpayments" under the board's policy and the law.

Meanwhile, LeSieur advised other employees of the school district to check if their paychecks match up. The AEA is not aware if there are more employees with similar cases, as of press time.