The Overton County School Board considering paying bonuses to employees not covered by the state’s voucher bill bonuses for teachers.
To be eligible for the $2,000 bonus, employees must spend at least 120 days in the classroom and make contact with students 50 percent of the time. Budget Director Crystal Nelson said the board needs to decide if the 30-plus certified staff members and many full time support staff who are not covered should get a one-time bonus.
“So just if we did all of them, including the support staff, it would be $510,000,” Nelson said. “That would be about $432,000 for the classified employees, which is support. And then for the non considered teacher category it would be about $78,000.”
Nelson said support staff includes full time employees without a teaching certification, such as teaching aides and cafeteria workers. Members of the board voiced support for including support staff in the proposal.
A factor in the decision was the way other counties are handling the situation with their support staff. Nelson said she has heard from several nearby school districts on their plans.
“One county is only doing the ones that are covered under the state, what we’re receiving for them,” Nelson said. “That’s one county. One county has not decided yet what they are doing, and then the others we have learned are doing all pretty much the same. They’re doing the all of their certified staff, they’re including the ones that are not covered and doing the support staff as well and just covering everyone as a one time bonus.”
Nelson said she is confident the school system will finish the current fiscal year with $1 million in unspent money, and the bonuses would come from that.
Nelson said the funds will not be available until the new fiscal year. Since the school budget has already been approved, Nelson said she would begin working on a budget amendment for the bonuses and have it ready for the July meeting.
“The board would approve it hopefully at the July meeting, an amendment, and then we would get it to the county commission and they could approve it in their August meeting,” Nelson said. “So possibly August. As soon as we could be ready as soon as they approve it.”
