An Alabama highschool worker is being compelled to pay again hundreds of dollars after a payroll error was detected after six years.

The worker, Christie Payne, works as a baby vitamin supervisor at Verbena Excessive Faculty in Chilton County, Alabama. On Friday, native station WIAT Information reported that she had acquired a letter, which was dated April 12, from the Chilton County Faculty District, informing her that she needed to pay the district again $23,465.40 attributable to a payroll error that had gone unnoticed for six years, after she acquired a promotion throughout the 2016-17 college yr.

"A assessment of monetary information reveals that you just had been overpaid by the Chilton County Board of Training," the letter defined, based on WIAT. "The worker went from assistant supervisor to supervisor. The worker ought to have began at step 0 or the supervisor schedule however was given years of expertise as an assistant."

The letter continues, stating that $254 might be added to the quantity Payne owes for each month that the matter "isn't taken care of." It additionally gives a number of cost choices, together with one lump sum, $3,910.90 a yr for six years, or $325.91 a month for 72 months. Payne had one week from the receipt of the letter to dispute the problem or suggest an alternate cost plan.

alabama school payroll error
An Alabama excessive vitamin supervisor is being compelled to pay again over $23,000 after a payroll error was found after six years. Above, a representational picture of cash.Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

Payne instructed WIAT that she was surprised upon receiving the letter, and insists that she was not conscious of the issue.

"I had no concept this was taking place," Payne mentioned. "Now I've seven days to repair a six-year mistake made by the payroll division."

She has been in touch with the Alabama Training Affiliation, an advocacy group for educators and college staff within the state, over the problem. District director Tracy LeSieur instructed WIAT that the group is presently working to analysis the issue whereas deciding on how you can deal with it. Chilton County Colleges Superintendent Jason Griffin on Thursday declined to touch upon the state of affairs when contacted by the station.

"As a consequence of worker privateness points, Chilton County Colleges is not going to be commenting in your inquiry," Griffin wrote in an e mail response.

Newsweek reached out to the Chilton County Faculty District for remark.

Overpayment attributable to payroll errors isn't an unheard-of problem, although it could actually typically finish a lot in a different way than in Payne's case. In July 2021, Timon Oujiri, commandant for the Iowa Veterans House, was fired after admitting that he had lengthy been conscious of a payroll error that resulted in him getting an additional $950 every week, finally leading to over $90,000 in overpayment.