One year after the school system left the state’s flexible benefit program (all insurance except healthcare) and implemented its own called TOTAL Rewards, statewide recognition has been received for the new program’s rollout.

The human resources department of Fayette County Public Schools received a 2020 Best in Class award from the Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators (GASPA) for outstanding achievement in the area of Employee Benefit Process, which evaluates innovative practices utilized during the open enrollment process to inform employees and aide in the communication of benefits.

Each area has three levels of recognition, the department received the highest level, platinum. To earn platinum recognition, the award submission must far exceed any other submitted by school systems with similar financial resources.

The award submission included a narrative summary outlining why the program was developed, how it has evolved, and the rationale for it, as well as implementation strategies, challenges and benefits realized, and feedback from affected parties.