HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Department of Education acknowledged the damage that was caused by delayed paychecks to hundreds of Hawaiiʻs teachers and has agreed to pay them for accrued fees and interest payments.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association said they met with DOE leaders earlier in the week and agreed to an audit that should identify the issues that led to the issue, additional payments and an extension to pay back the "$2,000 placeholder checks."
HSTA President Osa Tui said, “While we appreciate the $2,000 placeholder checks which were provided to affected educators, there’s no doubt that serious harm was done to many of them who have every right to be compensated in a timely manner."
Among the items agreed to, affected teachers should receive their paycheck and any previously owed salary amounts by Friday.
The loan period that teachers were supposed to pay the state back for the "placeholder checks" will be extended to Nov. 30 and those loans may be able to be paid back in installments.
"The HIDOE will pay $400 to educators who were not appropriately paid either their Aug. 20 or Sept. 5 paycheck and $800 for those who were denied both their Aug. 20 and Sept. 5 paychecks. The payments will address late fees, interest payments, as well as time and effort expended by educators to address their missed paycheck(s)," HSTA said in a news release.
HSTA has also decided to waive HSTA member dues for the affected paychecks.
One-hundred public charter school teachers who were impacted will be offered the same options, pending approval from the Attorney Generalʻs office.