Outgoing schools leader standing by bonuses

BOISE – State schools Superintendent Marilyn Howard, who leaves office in January, is rejecting calls that she take back $120,098 in merit bonuses that have gone out to more than 130 of the department’s employees.

“These people worked very hard for me in the last eight years,” Howard, a Democrat, told the Idaho Statesman.

But Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, House budget committee co-chairwoman, questioned the bonuses.

“Sounds to me like she is cleaning the drawers out,” Bell said.

“Why would you deserve a bonus because your boss is retiring?”

Bonuses of $960 were given to 115 full-time employees starting on Friday, including Jana Jones, Howard’s chief deputy superintendent, who lost to Republican Tom Luna in the November election for Howard’s job. Luna takes office in January.

Luna did not return a call from the Associated Press left with his spokesman on Monday.

Another 19 part-time employees received bonuses from $61 to $600.

Howard said the bonuses were paid for with money that came from savings made during the year on salaries. Most of it, she said, came from one employee who took an extended family leave without pay.

The budget year ends in June, and Howard said the bonuses will not affect the department’s ability to meet payroll through that time.

But Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said Howard should have used the money on students.

“I know we have good employees that work at the department, but why should we treat those employees better than classroom teachers?” said Cameron, who co-chairs the budget committee.

Brad Foltman, administrator of the state’s Division of Financial Management, said other heads of state agencies have given merit bonuses to nearly all employees in the past.

“It is rare, but it does happen,” he said.

As the elected head of a state agency, Howard didn’t need approval from the state’s Division of Human Resources or Division of Financial Management to give out the bonuses.