WCPS: More retention bonuses coming for teachers, staff

Wayne County Public School Superintendent Dr. David Lewis announced Friday that the district would be using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund dollars to award thousands of dollars in bonuses to teachers, staff and substitute teachers.

The money, Lewis said, is both a response to staffing shortages that have created “extra work for school and departmental personnel” and an opportunity to “help staff know that we value their work.”

The bonuses include:

Fall Semester Bonus: $1,000 for each staff member employed on or before September 15, 2021, and remaining continuously employed as of December 17, 2021.
Spring Semester Bonus: $1,000 for each staff member employed on or before February 9, 2022, and remaining continuously employed as of June 13, 2022.
Monthly Substitute Teacher Bonus: $250 for each substitute teacher who works at least 10 days (or the equivalent of 10 days) in a given payroll period. Note: This Monthly Substitute Teacher Retention Bonus will be made retroactive to the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

“Every employee has a valuable and important role to play in the education of our students,” Lewis said in a news release. “Wayne County Public Schools and the Wayne County Board of Education hope that these bonuses, along with any pay raises that may be coming with the passage of the state budget, demonstrate the school district’s commitment to our staff, and our sincere appreciation for all that you are doing this school year.”

District officials said funding for the bonuses are available through the district’s ESSER plan and budget, which were approved by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.