[US] SFUSD scraps payroll system that caused ‘payroll state of emergency’

In the US, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has announced that it is finally scrapping a flawed payroll system that was responsible for underpaying or sometimes totally failing to pay the state’s teachers, SFGATE reports.

On February 29, the SFUSD released a statement announcing that it would adopt Frontline Education’s California Enterprise Resource System; California’s “most-used” Payroll and HR system. 

The district reportedly plans to bring a contract to the Board of Education on March 12 and intends to implement the system by July 2025. 

In the statement, Superintendent Matt Wayne said, “This decision was made after thoughtful and careful consideration of what kind of ERP system we need as the third largest employer in San Francisco.”

It will replace SFUSD’s current system, EMPowerSF, which provoked Mr Wayne to declare a “payroll state of emergency” at a press conference in November 2022. The problem-plagued payroll system was implemented in 2022 and cost the district $14 million. 

After EMPowerSF’s installation in early 2022, teachers reported missing or late payments throughout the year, together with issues with health care coverage and retirement benefits. Rather than getting rid of EMPowerSF, the district reportedly brought in a consulting firm to assign further resources for troubleshooting the system. 

In December 2022, the district sent notices to approximately 750 teachers to notify them that they may have been overpaid. The list of teachers was generated by the faulty system and also proved to be inaccurate. 

“We are taking lessons learned from our switch to EMPowerSF in 2022 as we plan for this transition,” Mr Wayne said in the new statement. “I am confident that this change is in the best interest of our employees.”

SFUSD reportedly failed to respond to SFGATE’s question about how much the new system will cost. In the press release, the district said it planned to “use funds that were set aside in 2022 for the implementation of a new ERP system per the guidance from state-assigned fiscal experts.” 

Source: SFGATE

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In the US, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has announced that it is finally scrapping a flawed payroll system that was responsible for underpaying or sometimes totally failing to pay the state’s teachers, SFGATE reports.

On February 29, the SFUSD released a statement announcing that it would adopt Frontline Education’s California Enterprise Resource System; California’s “most-used” Payroll and HR system. 

The district reportedly plans to bring a contract to the Board of Education on March 12 and intends to implement the system by July 2025. 

In the statement, Superintendent Matt Wayne said, “This decision was made after thoughtful and careful consideration of what kind of ERP system we need as the third largest employer in San Francisco.”

It will replace SFUSD’s current system, EMPowerSF, which provoked Mr Wayne to declare a “payroll state of emergency” at a press conference in November 2022. The problem-plagued payroll system was implemented in 2022 and cost the district $14 million. 

After EMPowerSF’s installation in early 2022, teachers reported missing or late payments throughout the year, together with issues with health care coverage and retirement benefits. Rather than getting rid of EMPowerSF, the district reportedly brought in a consulting firm to assign further resources for troubleshooting the system. 

In December 2022, the district sent notices to approximately 750 teachers to notify them that they may have been overpaid. The list of teachers was generated by the faulty system and also proved to be inaccurate. 

“We are taking lessons learned from our switch to EMPowerSF in 2022 as we plan for this transition,” Mr Wayne said in the new statement. “I am confident that this change is in the best interest of our employees.”

SFUSD reportedly failed to respond to SFGATE’s question about how much the new system will cost. In the press release, the district said it planned to “use funds that were set aside in 2022 for the implementation of a new ERP system per the guidance from state-assigned fiscal experts.” 

Source: SFGATE

(Links and quotes via original reporting)