Behind the Paycheck: Meet the Two Newest Members of the PRPS Payroll Department

The payroll department within Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS) has seen some changes this year, with two new employees taking over this important department. In September, Carla McNally and Amber Kitching both joined division office to fill vacant positions and are responsible for paying all staff. 

Having worked under various government contracts and trained to be a paramedic, Carla McNally was looking for a job with regular hours after the birth of her first child. When she was ready to return to work, she used an employment service, who placed her in an accounting department. “Payroll chose me, but I found I really enjoyed it because I like making numbers work,” explained McNally.  

McNally took over Marlene Joyal’s position and started work at the end of September last year. “It was gracious Marlene stayed on until November 1 because it is a big learning curve.” McNally moved from her previous job because she was looking for more of a challenge and a place that would support her educational goals, such as achieving her Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation along with taking other courses related to payroll. 

The transition into PRPS has been smooth for McNally. “Everyone is so helpful. I feel like I’m on a team and we work well together. Everyone is encouraging and I love working here.” Responsible for ensuring all teachers and substitute teachers get paid, McNally says her goal is to make the job look easy and to remember it’s important to celebrate small wins.   

Originally, Amber Kitching thought she’d have a career as a chef, but after a life-changing gap year, where she travelled the world as part of the international performing group Up with People, she completed a degree in human resources. She learned bookkeeping while she was General Manager of the Garage Pub and was able to take on bookkeeping contracts so she could work from home after having children. Early last year, after she and her husband bought a chartered bus company, now called Coulee Coachlines, Kitching decided it was time to find a fulltime job that expanded her skillset.  

Kitching also started with PRPS in September, taking over Sheri Smith’s previous position, and says the transition has been better than expected. “I was anxious about returning to a Monday to Friday fulltime job because I had so much freedom with the bookkeeping contracts. However, I love this. It has been an amazing transition for me. The daily routine is just what I needed.” 

Her job feels like an extension of bookkeeping. “Everyone here is so chill and nobody micromanages me. If I have questions, they are available.” In many respects, her role feels much like when she was self-employed, but now she has her own office along with other staff to interact with. Kitching is responsible for ensuring all support staff are paid, educational assistants, administrative assistants, custodians, librarians, bus drivers and all employees who work out of division office. 

“The job is very detail oriented. Everything is fixable, but I don’t want to get to the point where I have to fix it. I want to ensure it is right the first time,” explained Kitching. One aspect that isn’t widely understood is the multiple steps involved before she can pay someone. “If something wasn’t approved by the right person, I can’t pay them, nor can I fix it. I often get calls, but because I’m the end of the line, I don’t always know how to correct the problem before I receive the necessary paperwork.” 

By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer