Dozens of Wake County teachers are being told they owe money to the district after they received bonuses in error.

According to school officials, paychecks issued to 117 employees this week included a $4,300 bonus for which they were ineligible.

The bonuses were issued following an error on the part of the school district in processing a data file.

State law requires that the teachers must return the money, and district officials on Thursday began contacting affected teachers, saying they can return the money by either writing a check to the district in the amount of the overage or by paying it back in installments over time.

The bonuses were intended for teachers who are considered to be in the top 25 percent for effectiveness, which is determined by student achievement levels.

A spokeswoman for the Wake County Public School System said a handful of teachers will get to keep a portion of the $4,300 they received because they were eligible for a bonus, just not in the amount awarded.

District officials said any tax issues arising from the erroneous bonus will be resolved when the money is returned.

The bonuses were awarded using $40,841,188 appropriated for teacher bonus programs by the General Assembly. About 6,900 teachers statewide qualified at the state or district level for at least one bonus based on effectiveness.