Lisbon Schools will be offering a teacher and staff retention bonus for the 2021-22 school year.
While Gov. Kim Reynolds and the legislature offered bonuses of $1,000 to all certified teachers in the state, the funds designated from the state did not extend to classified staff working in the districts.
“It really confounded me, especially when the state has funds from the federal government and could easily offer the funds to everyone,” said Lisbon superintendent Pat Hocking. “For us, it was just as important our classified staff, especially in positions like the Lisbon Early Childhood Center, receive a retention bonus, as they’re some of the employees who worked through the pandemic when everything else was shut down.”
Hocking said all employees at Lisbon will be receiving a $1,000 retention bonus for full-time staff and teachers and $500 for part-time staff at the district level.
The $1,000 for certified teachers will begin with March’s payroll checks, as that is coming directly from the state.
The monies coming from Lisbon Schools to staff who are not certified teachers will be rolled out in the June payroll.
The cost to the district’s general fund is estimated at $38,000. Employees who work at the lunch room will receive their bonuses from the nutrition balance, coming in at $8,000. LECC bonuses will come from a portion of the grants the daycare center just received as well.
“Our hope is that we won’t lose any more school teachers through the end of the year,” Hocking said.
Hocking added he felt it was the right thing to do for the district in offering similar funds to everyone.