District reports progress on Oracle payroll and W‑2 fixes; vendor feasibility study and RFP planned

Mr. Michael McDowell updated the board on Oracle payroll operations and W‑2 corrections on Feb. 26, reporting that outstanding payroll Jira tickets have materially declined since October and that the number of employees who reported not being paid for a payroll has fallen.

"Everything for 07/25 was cleared up," McDowell said, summarizing progress across several payroll cycles. He said W‑2s were mailed in batches; about 180 staff members required updated W‑2s, of which roughly 155 had been reconciled and 25 remained to be corrected and reissued.

McDowell said the district received a feasibility study from a potential vendor and will prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to evaluate possible replacement payroll/HR platforms. He cautioned that the remediation work is unsustainable long‑term and comes with a cost.

Board members pressed for employee protections and communications. Commissioner Lebron asked how employees know whether they have an incorrect W‑2 and what to do if they filed taxes using an incorrect form; McDowell said the district sent personalized emails to affected staff, notified unions and planned to mail corrected forms through ADP once reconciled. McDowell acknowledged that most W‑2 errors discovered would reduce reported income, which in many such cases would result in a larger tax refund when corrected.

The update included a reminder that payroll posting and Oracle system issues have also complicated the district's ability to file grant reimbursement in some accounts; McDowell said the district is pursuing both short‑term corrections and a longer‑term platform review.