Happy Friday. No paychecks for some Clayton school employees

It is not a happy Friday for some Clayton County school employees who learned they did not get paid because of a direct-deposit glitch.

Clayton school district spokesman Charles White said school officials were working to wire money directly to employee accounts and hope to get them paid today.

“We’re making every effort to get their money to them,” he said.

Officials could not immediately say how many employees were affected.

Clayton recently reached an agreement with SunTrust Bank to handle its employee payroll process. Friday was the first time employees were scheduled to get paid since the agreement, said White. Clayton employees were paid who bank with SunTrust or receive their paychecks in the mail. Clayton teachers are paid once a month.

Clayton County Education Association president Willie Green said he had received about 20 telephone calls, text messages and emails from angry teachers who were not paid. Green said many of them need the money to help pay for their children to return to college. The employees are also frustrated because this is Georgia’s tax-free weekend.

“The timing of this is unreal,” Green said.