The White County School Board approved $1,500 bonuses Thursday for 13 employees who did not receive the $2,000 Voucher bonuses from the state.
The 13 employees include counselors, coaches, and one district-level employee. The board considered paying the bonuses to an additional 27 employees, including 16 school administrators and 11 district-level employees. School Board Member Tracy Fowler said 40 bonuses would be too much money and the school board had to stop somewhere.
“I know principals are not with them all of the time, and I love everyone one of our principals and the people that work up here,” Fowler said. “But if you are gonna step out on a limb and we are gonna start spending money, then you are gonna have to get everybody, because if we keep on throwing money, our savings are gonna dwindle down.”
The 13 bonuses will cost the school district an estimated $19,500. School Board Member Jayson McDonald said he would have liked to have seen all 40 employees receive the bonus.
“27 of those folks that are listed in red have a teachers license, that went to school for it, they put their effort into it, I think they deserve it,” McDonald said. “I think we need to make all of these folks, and none of them has asked for it, but I think we need to make these folks feel wanted, appreciated, and I just think it’s the right thing to do.”
Approving 40 bonuses would have cost the school district an estimated $60,000. Chairman Bob Young said the way the state handled the bonuses really put the school board in a tough position.
“It’s obviously the spirit and the heart of the board that we recognize everybody, but the state didn’t,” Young said. “The state said we are gonna fund this group of people, and it was specific who qualified and who did not.”
Director Of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said he hopes that the approved bonuses will put an end to the issue.
In other business, three White County Middle School students received artist of the year awards.
The board was recognized as a platinum-level Healthier Challenge Award recipient. McDonald said the board is one of 17 school boards in the state to receive the platinum level. The school system was awarded $8,000 for the achievement.
Student Representative Callie O’Dell participated in her first school board meeting
