HISD asks over-bonused employees for money back

We're sure HISD officials are feeling like they've had enough problems with the district's merit bonus system — but here's one more they're having to deal with: Because of a computer glitch, teachers were overpaid an average of $745 in bonuses. And now district officials are asking them to give the money back. Oops!

The computer error led 99 part-time teachers and instructional personnel to be paid as though they were full-time employees, meaning they were over-bonused by anywhere from $62.50 to $2,790. "Although this affects less than 1 percent of HISD's 12,500 teachers, the error should not have been made," HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said. "We regret it and apologize to those instructional staff members." But here's the thing: Gayle Fallon, head of the Houston Federation of Teachers, is telling her members to keep the money.

"If it's the district's error, then the district should bear the loss," said Gayle Fallon, whose Houston Federation of Teachers represents about 6,500 employees.

"If you tell someone they deserve money and put it in their bank account, you've got a helluva nerve taking it back."

Fallon said she is encouraging teachers not to sign the form authorizing the district to deduct the money from their paycheck. Without the signed form, the district can't take back the money, Fallon said.

"And if they direct them to sign it, we'll see them in court," she added.

As the Chronicle notes, this is the third time the school district has misstepped in implementing the bonus program: First, Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra made some district employees mad when he said people getting bonuses were "the cream of the crop," and then HISD had to cut an additional $1 million in checks after it realized it missed several hundred teachers in the initial bonus payout. Fallon, who has been an outspoken critic of the way the bonus program has been administered, must be having a good laugh right about now.

Principals at 52 schools across the city are meeting with employees to explain the overpayment and how they can return the money to the district.