Suzy Ruth

Chief financial officer for Phenix City Schools Suzy Ruth said last year it distributed the money on credit cards Oct.1, the date the fiscal year for the district begins.

From the beginning of classes in August to the last day before winter break in December, 260 employees did not miss a day of work and received a $250 bonus, said Chief Financial Officer Suzy Ruth.

Ruth said 145 of those employees were teachers or principals; the remaining 115 were classified employees such as cafeteria workers, bus drivers and secretaries.
...
Ruth said they were still calculating the costs of the program versus the costs of hiring substitutes to determine if the system saved money.

From the beginning of classes in August to the last day before winter break in December, 260 employees had perfect attendance and received a $250 bonus, said chief financial officer Suzy Ruth.

Ruth said 145 of those employees were teachers or principals.
...
Ruth said they were still calculating the costs of the program versus the costs of hiring substitutes to determine if the system saved money.

The Phenix City school system spent about $325,000 on substitutes last school year, but was only reimbursed about $98,000, Chief Financial Officer Suzy Ruth said.

Money for teacher bonuses will come out of state allocation for substitutes.If every teacher had perfect attendance, the system would end up spending about $30,000 out of the general fund, Ruth said.

That money will be repaid over a period of years, said Suzy Ruth, chief schools financial officer.
...
The 28.5 mills required to fund the local portion of the budget represents the same tax rate as the current budget, with one mill in education taxes bringing in $155,702, Ruth said.

Suzy Ruth, the school district's chief schools financial officer, while presenting an overview of the proposed budget in a public hearing, said there is "really not much discretionary money in the general fund," because most of the state money must be spent for specific things.

Phenix City School District treasurer Suzy Ruth said other budget highlights include:

The Phenix City School Board's new budget increased board member travel funds from $6,450 to $7,450 for the upcoming fiscal year, said chief District Financial Officer Suzy Ruth.The board has spent $6,600 so far this fiscal year.

Russell County board members also receive an annual salary of $7,200, or $43,200 each during a six-year term.That totals $302,400 for the seven-member board in six years.

Phenix City board members have never received pay, Ruth said, neither stipends nor salaries, but do receive actual expense reimbursement for trips.

Suzy RuthChief Financial Officer

Suzy Ruth, Treasurer of Phenix City schools, "If we had to pay an additional five days for those people's contracts, it's probably going to cost the system somewhere in the neighborhood of a half million dollars".