Most employees with Guilford County Schools will receive a bonus in their paycheck this month.
The local board of education unanimously approved a recommendation by Superintendent Sharon Contreras to appropriate $950,000 from the district's fund balance to provide the bonuses for teachers and other licensed staff.
Contreras says the pot of money will be divided up equally, so each person will receive $150, regardless of years of service or position.
“It's not a lot of money when you consider the number of staff members we have in the district,” she says. “But we would like to do something with the funds that we have to show them they are appreciated and to acknowledge the hard times that so many people in our community are having. Even those who have jobs are struggling.”
In addition, the district says it will also provide some form of additional compensation this year to all classified employees, either as a bonus or a raise or both. Those employees include maintenance, school nutrition, and transportation workers.
Bus drivers and school nutrition workers, who received a raise last year, will also receive a bonus in December.
Teachers and licensed instructional support personnel received $350 bonuses from the state budget in October. Teachers also received step-increases, based on years of experience, which district officials say may have resulted in a salary increase.
The bonuses will be administered on Dec. 22.
Currently pre-K through second grade students and some exceptional children are back in classrooms for in-person learning. The board of education approved a plan to bring back more grades in January. Contreras says as of now, the district is planning to move forward with that reopening plan, however school leaders are keeping a watchful eye on local COVID-19 case metrics and will continue to communicate with local health officials.
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