Finance FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Paycheck Delivery
I would like to pick up my paycheck from the Central Office on pay day. Is this allowed?
No, all paychecks are mailed from the Central Office on pay day without exception. However, using Direct Deposit will ensure funds are deposited into your bank account on the morning of payday. For more information on signing up for Direct Deposit, please see the form under "Finance Forms" or contact the Finance Department.
Pay Frequency
Employees who are under a contract or annualized work agreement receive 26 paychecks per year (every two weeks).
Employees who are paid by the day or the hour are paid on the same payday as contract/work agreement employees, however the amount of pay is based on the actual time worked during the pay period.
There is one full pay period lag between work and payment. For instance, employees are required to turn in their two-week time sheet on a payday, and they will receive payment for those two weeks on the next payday.
Payday is typically on Friday, but is changed in some cases to accommodate Holidays and deduction schedules. Please see the list of pay dates for the current school year below.
For a listing of pay dates for each year, see the Pay Rates Section of the NCPS Website.
Pay Stub Q & A
1) Why are there two FICA and Medicare deductions on my check stub?
As your employer, NCPS is required by law to pay an employer's share of FICA and Medicare taxes withheld from your paycheck. This is why there are two deductions on your pay check - one is an employer deduction and the other is an employee deduction.
2) Why are there two insurance deductions on my check stub?
NCPS pays $170 per pay period toward employee health insurance as an employment benefit. The $170 deduction is an employer-paid deduction and does not reduce your gross pay.
The second deduction is an employee-paid deduction and does come out of your paycheck.
3) What is INS>50k?
All VRS-eligible employees receive group term life insurance coverage in the amount of their annual salary, rounded to the next thousand, and doubled. The IRS allows employees to receive $50,000 of this coverage untaxed, but taxes are required on the value of the coverage amount that exceeds $50,000. The value of the excess coverage is calculated using an age-based table provided by the IRS (this is called "imputed income").
The INS>50K line on your pay stub is an EMPLOYER deduction and does not reduce your net pay. The taxes you are paying on the value of the excess coverage are combined with the taxes that are deducted on your regular pay. The value of the imputed income does appear separately on your W-2.
W-2's
When can I expect to receive my W-2?
W-2's for Northampton County Public Schools employees are being printed offsite by our financial management system company, RDA Systems. RDA will be printing and mailing W-2's prior to the January 31st deadline as required by the IRS. We have no control over when mailing will occur, but assure employees that the federal guideline will be met.
Returned W-2's will be held by the Finance Department, unless a forwarding address has been provided. Duplicate copies of W-2's will not be provided to employees until one week following the Federal mailing deadline.
Paid Leave
I have used all of my leave, but I still need to be out of work. What are my options?
NCPS offers three benefits that may be of assistance in this situation, depending on the circumstances.
1. Leave Donation Program
Under the Leave Donation Program, any eligible full-time or part-time employee is eligible to receive transfers of vacation and/or sick leave from other NCPS employees where absences from work are required due to the life-threatening illness or life threatening injury of one of the following people: 1. The employee 2. The employee’s dependents 3. The employee’s spouse 4. The employee’s parents.
The full text of this regulation, along with eligibility criteria, full details of the program, and application forms can be found at this link: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/nhcps/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8DBRKX6BF113
2. Sick Leave Bank
Sick Leave Bank benefits are to be used in instances when a Bank member (employee) themselves is completely incapacitated from performing work duties by a long-term personal illness or injury. The first thirty consecutive working days due to the qualifying illness or disability will not be covered by the Bank but must be covered by the employee’s own accumulated leave balances. If sufficient leave balances do not exist, the employee's absences during this time will be considered leave without pay.
The full text of this regulation, along with eligibility criteria, full details of the program, and application forms can be found at this link: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/nhcps/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8DBRKX6BF113
3. Request a third Personal Day
Employees can consider requesting a third Personal Day from the Superintendent. If approved, the employee will be docked for the cost of a degreed sub for that day instead of their regular daily rate. Requests for a third Personal Day should include the circumstances of the employee's need and should be emailed to the Superintendent at lmartin@ncpsk12.com.