Springdale School Board OKs bonuses
SPRINGDALE — The School Board on Tuesday approved a one-time bonus for substitutes and full-time employees.
The board voted 7-0 in support of the bonus at its monthly meeting.
“We’re happy that we’re able to do this,” said Kelly Hayes, deputy superintendent.
The bonus is designed to contribute to employee retention, said Jared Cleveland, superintendent.
Time sheet and contracted staff members employed by the district as of Dec. 1 who work an average of 25 hours a week or more will receive an $800 bonus, Hayes said. Part-time employees who have worked for the district since Dec. 1 will receive a prorated $800 bonus as well.
Employees must have worked on-site at least one day on or after Aug. 16 to qualify for the bonus, according to supporting documents.
Substitutes who worked a minimum of 30 days in the Fall 2021 semester prior to Dec. 1 will receive a $250 bonus, according to the documents. Substitutes must have received a paycheck in November 2021 to qualify for the bonus.
Substitutes include any noncontracted individual who fills in at various locations throughout the district when an employee is absent, the documents state.
Employees will receive the bonus in their December paychecks, according to the documents.
“The bonus will cost approximately $3.1 million and will be paid from a combination of federal, state and local tax dollars,” Hayes said.
Required payroll deductions will apply to all bonuses, according to supporting documents.
Hayes also shared information on an increase in substitute teacher pay and a bus driver incentive that went into effect Nov. 29.
The school board demonstrated support of the pay increase and incentive by voting 7-0 in support of the measures.
The daily pay for substitute teachers with a high school diploma has increased from $88 to $107, pay for substitute teachers with a bachelor’s degree rose from $95 to $117, the pay for certified substitute teachers increased from $102 to $127 and pay for certified long-term substitute teachers rose from $158.85 to $187 per day, according to supporting documents.
Route bus drivers also will receive a $20 per day attendance incentive, Hayes said.
The district is experiencing a critical shortage of bus drivers and substitute teachers this year, he said.
“We have approximately 540 active substitutes. This is down about 100 subs from years past,” Hayes said. “However, we are seeing an increase in the number of people signing up to become a substitute.”
The district currently has 15 out of 75 bus driver positions open, he said.
The substitute teacher pay increase and bus driver incentive will be paid until labor shortages subside, according to supporting documents. Both are funded through Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds, Hayes said.
The pay increase and incentive will help the district remain competitive with other districts, he said.
The Bentonville and Rogers school districts also increased substitute teacher pay in October.
Bentonville’s increase bumped pay from $93 to $126 per day for state-certified substitutes, from $88 to $116 for substitutes with a bachelor’s degree and from $85.25 to $106 for substitutes with a minimum of a high school diploma, according to administrators.
The rate in Rogers for substitute teachers with only a high school diploma increased from $81 to $105 per day. The rate for someone with a bachelor’s degree rose from $87 to $115 per day. And the rate for a certified teacher grew from $93 to $125 per day, according to district documents.