Baltimore County’s school district continues to experience growing pains in its transition to a new digital payroll and human resources system.
Oracle went live over the summer as the district’s human resources management, including benefits, recruitment, time and labor and payroll operations. In April 2026, it will go live for the school system’s financial side, like accounts receivable and payable, purchasing, and budget control, the district’s website says.
Less than 2% of the district’s more than 21,000 employees experienced a pay disruption, district Chief of Staff Mildred Charley-Greene said during the board’s Sept. 24 meeting.
Two union leaders said Tuesday their memberships are still experiencing issues with Oracle.
Billy Burke, executive director of the Council of Administrative & Supervisory Employees, a union that represents the district’s principals, assistant principals, pupil personnel workers and other staff, said the district has offered more support for staff to aid in using the new system.
“That said, challenges remain, particularly around payroll reconciliation,” he said. “Despite training, many are still struggling to complete the process efficiently.” Principals and supervisors are spending 90 to 120 minutes on payroll between close of business Friday to when payroll is due on Monday, according to Burke.
Kelly Olds, president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, said issues surrounding pay include employees not getting paid, being paid at an incorrect rate, not having withholdings deducted or having too many deducted and the inability to make corrections to underpayments between pay cycles.
“In dealing with these circumstances, some have been unable to pay mortgages and other bills on time,” she said. “There continues to be a pervasive concern about the accuracy of our paychecks.”
Meetings between the district and its unions on the transition began in November 2024, Homer McCall II, chief human resource officer, said. Union leaders provided input and were able to ask questions of the process, he presented to the board.
Staff met with union leaders on the changes brought by payroll procedures, like moving toward payment in arrears for salaried employees, and met with them and membership as requested, McCall said.
More than 100 communications were sent on the school district’s various internal platforms on the transition, he said.
“We do provide timely as well as accurate responses to those individuals who may have experienced some of the issues as we transitioned,” McCall said.
Whit Tantleff, the school district’s executive director of fiscal services, said those that haven’t received pay and are facing financial hardships can obtain a manually written check.
The transition to Oracle addresses longstanding operational deficiencies at the district, responding in part to audit findings as far back as 2015, Superintendent Myriam Rogers said Tuesday.
“It is to be expected that moving from our systems, which [were] very much paper-and-pencil, … that there is going to be a learning curve, even with a year’s worth of communication and training,” Rogers said. “Our commitment remains to our people in Team BCPS.”
This article will be updated.
Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks.