PPS asks custodians to pay back erroneous overpayments from winter storm work
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Public Schools is asking hundreds of custodians to give back part of their paychecks. The district said this stems from an error where the employees were overpaid during the winter storm in January.
These overpayments — the term PPS is using — happened to almost 250 custodians who showed up to work during the ice storm when schools were closed after they were asked to check on their buildings and keep up maintenance.
PPS said $53,000 was paid out and wants the money returned. The district described the overpayments as inadvertent but won’t give details. The amounts range from under $100 to over $500. Custodians are asked to either send the money back or they can opt to have it taken out of future checks.
The custodians said they believe the hiccup happened because their new contract specifies getting extra pay for working in bad weather. However, that contract wasn’t in place yet back then. Some of the workers also said they think they should be able to keep the money as hazard pay.
“So now that you asked for this money back, how many custodians are going to want to — the next inclement weather day, the next time we have snow, snow and ice like that — how many of us are going to want to come into the building?” said Jim D'Arcy, a PPS custodian.
D’Arcy, who is a union representative with the Service Employees International Union, said the school district is asking for $192 back from him.
KOIN 6 News reached out to school district leadership to get details and in response, they sent a statement that said in part: “We take the use and management of public funds very seriously. And we deeply regret the error that led to this situation."
PPS didn’t go into further details about how the mistake happened or if they would consider just letting it go.
Interim Superintendent Sandy Husk said custodial staff is one area that will see some cuts to help make up a $30 million budget shortfall for next school year.