Imagine this: the end of the school year is near and school principals are planning for their staffing needs in the fall. As part of that process, they send contract renewals to their existing faculty members to gauge who will be returning for the next school year. Now imagine you are a teacher waiting to receive your renewed contract. Before you can make any decision, you need to know that your years of service and the Master’s degree you just finished will be credited and reflected in your compensation. In order for that to happen, the K‑12 HR department needs to update your years of service and education history so that the payroll department can update your salary and compensation.
That may sound simple enough but, unfortunately, many school districts are still using manual enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This means manual retrieval of documentation and manual entering of information. It also means delays in contract renewals and human resource planning.
K‑12 ERP planning software facilitates greater communication between HR and Payroll. It allows data to flow between the two departments and supports greater accuracy, compliance, and budget planning.
How Cloud-Based ERP Helps K‑12 HR and Payroll Work Cohesively
Supporting Compliance
To meet the requirement of being highly qualified, teachers must have certain credentials. Advanced degrees, certifications, and even references must be verified for compliance purposes and also for compensation accuracy. Having all of a new hire or existing employee’s information stored in one place that all departments can access makes staying in compliance easier than ever before.
Hiring and Retention
Teacher and administrator salaries are generally set by education agencies in each state. However, districts can set their own compensation beyond that. For example, each district can decide if it will offer a stipend for historically high-demand areas like special education and dual language programs. Districts can also offer financial incentives for advanced education such as Master and Doctoral degrees.
Some districts may also choose to offer additional compensation for teachers who lead extracurricular activities. These are a great incentive to keep student programs running. ERP software for K‑12 districts allows leaders to set these additional compensation options and have them automatically applied to an eligible employee’s overall compensation package.
In addition to managing compensation for faculty and administrators, a cloud-based ERP system can help districts maintain a qualified pool of substitute teachers. Given the nationwide staff shortage, it is more important than ever to have eligible substitute teachers on board with their availability updated for when they are needed. This software also keeps track of days and hours worked. This is a huge help when it is time for the payroll department to disburse payments.
Compensation Accuracy
Accuracy is important in every aspect of an organization, but especially in employee compensation. After all, an organization can’t run without its people! If employee information is stored and regularly maintained, the payroll department will have the most up-to-date information for compensation. In addition, cloud-based ERP software facilitates simple and efficient teacher contract renewals. It ensures that teachers are given credit for their years of service, as well as any new certifications. An employee portal gives faculty and other staff the ability to update their information in real-time. This allows both HR and payroll to be compliant and accurate.
Accuracy in Budget Planning
Districts need to budget for expenses, including both compensation and benefits. Accurate HR records lead to accurate payroll planning. This gives district leaders a clear picture of available funding and facilitates efficient budgeting. Many K‑12 districts are making plans to improve upon existing buildings, build new facilities, and implement new initiatives such as universal free meals. An accurate understanding of available funding is essential to bring these plans to life in a timely and efficient manner.
Improve Communication Among Your HR and Payroll Departments with LINQ ERP
Teacher contract renewals is just one example of when efficient communication between HR and payroll is necessary. In reality, these two departments are already interconnected and need a system that supports their collaboration. LINQ ERP streamlines K‑12 district operations and facilitates greater communication and collaboration among district departments. Connect with us today to find out more.