Background: During COVID-19, Haywood County Schools’ employees have gone above and beyond to support the community and learning during the impact of COVID-19. This began with meal deliveries using school buses to students and the community. When the state allowed students to return in-person, we opened our doors five days a week for rotational or daily attendance. Our schools have been very safe with limited “clusters” and strong academic and extra-curricular performance.
Retention Bonus Plan Components: Plan components are subject to approval of the Haywood County Board of Education and the Federal ESSER funding regulations.
- COVID-19 Retention Bonuses are only eligible for current employees who commit to continue working through the end of the 2021-22 school year. A signed commitment to continue working through the end of the 2021-22 school year is required prior to payment of any COVID-19 Retention Bonuses.
- The Retention Bonus Plan time period is March 2020 through June 2022.
- Retention bonuses will be paid in several employee categories.
a. Full-time employees currently employed by the school system will receive a retention bonus based upon their 10-month or 12-month contract work from March 2020 to present and their commitment to continue in employment until the end of their 10-month or 12-month contract period in June of 2022.
b. Full-time current employees will receive the same monthly bonus rate regardless of job description.
c. Part-time employees currently employed by the school system will receive a retention bonus based upon their 10-month or 12-month contract work from March 2020 to present and their commitment to continue in employment until the end of their 10-month or 12-month contract period in June of 2022.
d. Substitutes will be paid a bonus rate for each day served as a substitute during the 2020-21 school year.
e. Substitutes will be paid a bonus rate for each day served as a substitute during the 2021-22 school year.
4. The monthly rates for the retention bonus period of time are:
a. Full-time employees are eligible to receive $126 per month during the period based on their 10-month or 12-month contract.
b. Part-time employees are eligible to receive $63 per month during the period based on their 10-month or 12-month contract.
c. Substitutes are eligible to receive $5 per day for days worked during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
Retention Bonus Pay Schedules:
- For the time period of March 2020 through November 2021, full-time and part-time employees may choose to receive their retention bonus with the (1) November 2021 pay period or (2) February 2022 pay period.
- For the time period of December 2021 through June 2022, full-time and part-time employees will be paid near the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year.
- Substitute pay for the 2020-21 school year will occur with the November 2021 pay period.
- Substitute pay for the 2021-22 school year will occur near the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year.
Additional Retention Bonus Criteria:
- Retention bonuses for 10-month employees will not be paid for summer work.
- Employees are not eligible for multiple bonus categories.
- Employees who qualify for multiple categories will be paid the rate for the highest category.
- Retention bonus pay is contingent on the approval of the Haywood County Board of Education and Federal ESSER regulations for retention bonus pay.