Employees in Dexter Community Schools (DCS) are receiving a one-time, off-schedule payment in the coming month.

At the Nov. 18 DCS Board of Education meeting, the school board approved a number of decisions to give the different employee groups a one-time payment. The Sun Times News followed up with school board president Elise Bruderly to ask about these payments.

Bruderly said the board approved all of the one-time payments for the district employees and the money will be paid in the month of December.

The employee groups included in the agreement are the Dexter Education Association (DEA), Dexter Administrators’ Association (DAA), Dexter Education Support Personnel Association (DESPA), West Washtenaw Bus Drivers and Monitors Association (WWBDAMA), and to individual/non-affiliated contract employees.

Explaining the payment, Bruderly said, “As part of our contracts with some union groups we agree to share the risk between the district budget and our employee groups. If we end up with more revenue than expenses (above a certain threshold) we split the positive money with the employee groups. This year, we were also able to share some of this positive revenue with all other employee groups.”

DEA and DAA members are getting an $817 payment on Dec. 13, while DESPA and WWBDAMA members will be getting a payment that will be .5 percent of their 2023-24 salaries. Individual/non-affiliated contract employees are getting a $400 payment.

“Our board values the individuals who work in our district and understand that increasing compensation when we are able is the best way to show this appreciation,” Bruderly said.

When asked what the community should know about this payment, Bruderly said the community should know “how hard our district administrators work to chase down every grant that becomes available, all year, in order to improve our district revenue, which allows us to end the year financially positive.”