The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) helped workers who had to miss work as a result of COVID-19.

But, it also made some workers have to make tough choices.

Warren County School District employees who receive retirement benefits from the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) had to decide whether to use FFCRA days or regular sick days.

There are limits on the number of days teachers can miss in a school year and have it count as a full year for retirement purposes.

Sick days do not count against that number.

On the flip side, employees receive compensation for unused sick days they have when they retire.

When FFCRA was passed down, there was no guidance regarding retirement.

Some teachers, not wanting to short their retirements, used sick days when they had to quarantine or isolate. Others, who were not as close to retirement or who were not right on the cusp of full retirement at the end of the year, used FFCRA.

Those who used FFCRA would like to see those days count toward their retirement.

And, if that works, those who used sick days would like to be allowed to switch over to FFCRA.

Superintendent Amy Stewart said the Warren County Education Association made those requests of Warren County School District, specifically for the 2020-2021 school year.

The board could make that happen by spending an estimated $36,501.25, she said. “It makes everybody whole.”

The district has known for months that there could be issues but waited for any further guidance before trying to address the issue.

“The Biden Administration did not propose anything new in the FFCRA lane with regard to our employees,” Stewart said during the school board’s Monday personnel meeting.

The district has detailed records of the sick and FFCRA time taken by teachers due to COVID-19, she said.

“For the most part, our folks really wanted to be at work,” Stewart said. “Our staff is very proud that we stayed open almost every day this school year.”

She said most employees who were able kept working virtually while in quarantine or isolation. Some were too sick and others, like cafeteria workers and custodians, can’t do their work from home.

Board members were sympathetic to the situation the teachers were in but wanted to make sure they were not setting what could turn out to be an unpleasant precedent before making any decision.

“I feel badly for the dilemma that put them in,” board member Arthur Stewart said.

“I would be supportive,” board member Joe Colosimo said. “There are districts all over the country that refused to come back. Our teachers didn’t do that. We’ll have assets available to be able to remedy a small amount.”

“Are we opening Pandora’s Box?” board member Donna Zariczny asked.

“If I had my druthers in these gray areas, we could reward our loyal staff… and make them whole,” Arthur Stewart said. “Unless you throw other things into the mix that this is a precedent… or we’re opening Pandora’s Box.”

Board member Kevin Lindvay said the $36,501.25 was already part of the budget, that would have been used to fund retirement payments had all of the employees used sick time.

“The money that we would be providing to these folks in a PSERS payment… if they would have attended work normally, that would have been budgeted normally,” he said.

The board did not make any final decisions and asked administration to confirm the final amount and see if there are any other problems.

“Go ahead and put more meat on those bones,” Arthur Stewart said.