According to PEOPLE In light of a payroll error detected on January 17th, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) district in North Carolina is requesting 225 English teachers to reimburse $1,250 each, which they had inadvertently received as bonuses on their January 12 paychecks.
The district acknowledged the error and extended an apology to the affected teachers, notifying them of the situation on January 18th through a statement issued to local media outlets, including WCNC, WBTV, and WSOC-TV.
The 225 teachers
“will have the option of repaying the bonus in a lump sum from their February check or may choose a payment plan with deductions over three months,” per the statement.
The district claimed that these bonuses were intended only for new teachers as an incentive to recruit them to work at CMS schools.
“We understand the challenges this error may have caused, and we are committed to working closely with each of the teachers impacted,” the statement said, per WCNC. “We value the work of all CMS employees and sincerely apologize for any distress or inconvenience.”
CMS, which has 184 schools throughout Mecklenburg County, employs more than 20,000 teachers, support staff and administrators, according to the district’s About CMS page on its website.
That is a lot of money to give back in the New Year.
