When D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee appeared on the Kojo Nnamdi Show last week, a teacher from Stanton Elementary School in Ward 8 called in to ask about the whereabouts of a $200 gift card for school supplies with mere days before the first day of school.

“That is being addressed as we speak,” Ferebee responded. “We know that supplies are critical to the preparation process. So, please know that that is on the top of our list, and we’re working to get those to schools as soon as possible.”

But as it turns out, the gift card wasn’t the only instance of a delayed DCPS payment. A total of 56 coaches who worked with public school sports teams in the spring are still waiting to receive their earnings, the school system confirms.

There are two types of payment for coaches, depending on whether they’re also DCPS employees. Workers in the school system receive extra duty pay, which was already dispersed, but non-DCPS employees are considered vendors and receive stipend payments. Head coaches earn $2,000 and assistant coaches make $800 per season.

Among the latter is Joe Weedon, a former Ward 6 representative to the D.C. State Board of Education. He was a softball coach at Eliot-Hine Middle School this spring and still hasn’t been paid. Previously, his wife had served as a DCPS ski team coach and he says payments generally came through within four to six weeks.

Weedon says the delay means that “we’re having trouble recruiting some of the non-teachers back to Eliot.”

The issue at hand? They’re waiting to reprogram funds, basically moving money from one part of the budget to another (this happens largely through the executive office, though the D.C. Council has 14 days to file a notice of disapproval).

“D.C. Public Schools is working aggressively to get stipends to those coaches who have not been paid,” the school system said in an emailed statement. “We apologize for the inconvenience and will ensure that this does not occur in the future.”

The time commitment for coaching is at least three weekly practices and a game for the full season. “Another piece of it is building relationships with the kids,” says Weedon. “Showing them you’re going to be there, you’re going to follow through, and you’ve got their best interests at heart.” Coaches also need to pay for background checks, tuberculosis tests, and other upfront costs.

Weedon says that the delay in payment due to the need for reprogramming is part of an “ongoing, chronic program,” a concern echoed by At-large Councilmember David Grosso, who chairs the Committee on Education.

“DCPS athletic coaches, and all employees, deserve to be paid in full and on time. This is another example of fiscal mismanagement at DCPS that first came to light in my hearing on budget transparency and it’s having real impacts on people’s livelihoods,” Grosso said in an emailed statement to DCist. “I will be following up with them until our coaches are paid.”

DCPS disputes the idea that the delay is representative of larger issues in the school system when it comes to funding.

Weedon, though, argues that the delay is indicative of DCPS’ priorities.

“Our school system is increasing focused on math and reading scores, and we ignore those other relationships—the sports, the clubs, the other activities that really bring joy to learning,” he says. “We need to recognize those if our kids are going to succeed in the classroom and beyond a standardized test.”