Payroll is a service-oriented department. Our goal is to assist employees and administrative departments to process payroll information, answer inquiries, and resolve problems. Besides issuing bi-weekly payroll checks, the payroll department performs the following functions:

Calculates monthly compensation in accordance with Federal, State and District regulations. We currently have six distinct employee groups as well as hourly employees, such as substitutes.
Processes and maintains detailed records on various types of employees. In many cases, this involves multiple rates of compensation and financial accounts.
Reports wages/hours to various state and federal agencies such as the Department of Labor, Arizona State Retirement System and the Social Security Administration.
Calculates and withholds payments for over 80 different types of voluntary and mandatory deductions from employee paychecks.
 
Important! Submit your time slip on time.
To be in compliance with the Arizona Uniform System of Financial Records (USFR), the business office cannot issue a manual check to an employee who did not get paid.  What that means for employees is if you do not turn in your time slip, signed contract, or signed agreement by the due date, you will not be paid until the following pay period. Supervisors, please make sure that your employees are fully aware of this change and be sure you have made arrangements with your employees for times you are out of the office.

Your pay stub is one of the most important documents you receive from PUSD.
Are you looking at your pay stub each and every payday? It is a wealth of information concerning your benefit elections, leave balances and tax information. Some of the things you should be checking each payday are:

Address and Social Security number are correct.
Your payroll deductions reflect your benefit elections. Did you make changes during open enrollment in May? If so, these elections should be reflected in your benefit deductions. If you canceled a benefit, the deduction should no longer be coming out. If you added a benefit or changed a benefit by adding or deleting a dependent or increasing or decreasing coverage, this should also be reflected in your benefit deductions.

Check your leave balances by keeping the pink copy of your leave slip and making sure it is subtracted correctly from your leave bank. Please contact Denise Stevens, HR Specialist, 445-5400, ext. 70116, with any leave questions you may have. Please contact Kayla Adams, Benefits Specialist at 928-445-5400, ext. 70128, with any benefit questions. Look at the amount of federal and state tax you have coming out of each check. Is it enough or too much to meet your tax obligation? Your federal and state tax elections can be changed at any time during the year and as many times as you need.
 
FAQs
Q. How is my paycheck figured?

Everyone’s first paycheck is actual pay.  This means that your first check is the number of hours you worked in the pay period times your hourly rate.  If you are paid by agreement or contract, and you are not a 12-month employee, this is your only paycheck that is actual pay.  The remainder of your pay is spread evenly over the school, regardless of how many work days fall in each pay period.  

Assuming you work for PUSD from the beginning of the year, and you are not a 12-month employee, your first paycheck will probably be Payroll 4.  That check will be what you actually earned in that pay period. If you are paid by agreement or contract, what you are paid after that depends on the pay option you choose:

Option A Equal Installments – As a less than 12-month employee your last payroll of the school year will probably be Payroll 25.  Your total agreement/contract amount minus what you were paid in Payroll 4 will be divided evenly (by 21) and paid to you over the remaining pay periods.

Option B Lump Sum – As a less than 12-month employee your last payroll of the school year will probably be Payroll 25.  Your total agreement/contract amount minus what you were paid in Payroll 4 will be divided by 25. Each payday you will be paid 1/24 of the balance of your full year amount.  You will receive this amount Payroll 5 through Payroll 24. On Payroll 25 you will receive a lump sum that is 4 times your usual paycheck amount. You don’t need to change your withholding; the system knows how to withhold income tax correctly in this situation.

If you start on July 1 and you are a 12-month employee, your first check of the year (Payroll 1) will be what you actually earned during the pay period.  The remainder of your agreement/contract is divided by 26 and paid to you evenly Payroll 2 through Payroll 27.

This explains the three most common situations and pay options.  Your situation may be different. Payroll would be happy to email you a Distribution Report so you can see exactly how you will be paid over the school year.

Q: How do I change my withholding?

You can change your withholding by filling out a new W-4 form.

Q: How do I sign up for Direct Deposit?

You can print the Direct Deposit form, or you can obtain a form from your school secretary or the payroll department.

Q: Where do I report name/address changes?

Please contact the Human Resources department to change your name/address. In order to make name changes, we will need to see your new Social Security card and you will need to complete a form for Arizona State Retirement.