Morehouse Parish employees have been awaiting there summer bonus checks, which have been reduced from last year; however, Superintendent Tom Thrower announced that a 14th check would be mailed out shortly during the Morehouse Parish School Board committee meetings Tuesday night.

The bonus money, or the 13th check, is given to employees every year from the balance of ad valorem and other taxes. Employees are paid 10 percent of sales tax, which helps fund medical benefits and life insurance policies. The remainder of taxes is distributed to all employees after payroll checks are cut, Superintendent Tom Thrower said.

The 13th check varies each year depending on how much money is left over. For the 2006 - 2007 school year, employees were paid 3.8 percent of their base pay. Only 1.9 percent of the base pay was given the previous year.

Morehouse Parish School Board business manager Renee Hinton said base pay is determined by how much employees are paid for nine months. The base pay also factors in how many years of experience employees have garnered and how many college degrees they’ve earned.

For example, someone with a master’s degree who has worked 15 years does not receive the same as someone with a bachelor’s degree who has two years of experience.

According to Hinton, employees received a 2.1 percent pay for the 2008 - 2009 school year. This year, they received a 1.2 percent pay, a 0.9 percent decrease.

Around noon Tuesday, June 30, Hinton received a check from Ron Carter, administrator of the Sales Tax Commission. She said Carter informed her that the commission received a one-time payment yesterday for taxes on more than $10 million worth of construction equipment. This was not an expected payment.

“This changed all of my calculations for the 13th check,” Hinton said. “In order to deplete the sales tax fund, we will have to write a 14th check for .45 percent and issue these on July 7 to all employees.”

Other business attended to during the meetings included hearing a report from Johnson Controls, approving a project with SOS, discussed new grant possibilities for the old historic Bastrop High School, approved the continuation of S & R Janitorial and ARC of Morehouse for another year, approved the purchase of lawn care equipment, accepted the renewal of the property insurance policy with the inclusion of boiler and machinery coverage, approved a revision to the Child Welfare and Attendance data entry clerk position, appointed Barbara Smith and Hinton as representatives for the board to the Sales Tax and Use Commission, approved the financial statement for the general and lunch fund for May 2009, received an update on the school-based health clinic that may be receiving funds if approved by Jindal, approved a revision to the 2009 - 2010 calendar for the ending date of the six weeks from March 30 to March 31 and heard from Sharon Rambo regarding the employees right to representation, the meal provider bidding and placement on the School Board agenda.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. July 7 for a regular meeting.