Lexington-Richland 5 teachers will get COVID bonus, incentives. Here’s how much

Teachers in Lexington-Richland 5 are in line for a bonus this year, and an extra incentive for working next year.

Interim Superintendent Akil Ross announced plans to the school board Monday to give every teacher a $1,000 appreciation bonus in November. Starting next year, teachers will also receive an extra $50 each week they work a full work week through the end of the school year.

Ross framed the $1,000 one-time payment as a sign of the district’s appreciation for the work done through a stressful period when teachers had to wrestle with a surge in COVID-19 cases. The payments will go out Nov. 19, during American Education Week and “just in time for Black Friday,” Ross said.

The weekly bonuses, Ross said, are meant to combat rising staff shortages this year. In an average week, the district gets 607 requests for time off, Ross said, leading to an average of 388 classes that need to be filled by a substitute. Another 220 positions per week go unfilled, requiring teachers to cover a colleague’s classes during what would otherwise be their planning periods.

“I see teachers who are struggling to decide if they have enough time to go to the bathroom or to eat,” Ross said in a video announcing the policy to staff. “So I want to invest in those people who are covering classes and missing their planning period.”

Each teacher will earn $50 each week they complete without missing a day from Jan. 1 until the end of the school year.

In the video, Ross acknowledged the strain teachers are under, and admits, “Yes, I’m throwing money at the problem.”

“I know it’s not a lot of money, but hopefully earning an extra $200 a month is just enough to hear we’re saying thank you,” Ross said. “I know economic stress as well as mental health stress… Money can’t fix everything, but we think it can help.”

The school board on Monday set aside $3 million each to fund the one-time appreciation bonuses and another $3 million for the Friday payments for 2022.