School boards vote to extend bonuses to all staff

The Laurens County Board of Education has approved bonuses for all of its employees, to be paid on Friday.

Laurens County Superintendent O.J. Hall said the board decided  during a called meeting on Monday that everyone, and not just certified employees, would receive a $2,000 bonus.

“As many are aware, Gov. Brian Kemp has approved a one-time $2,000 bonus for eligible school employees,” Hall said. “All full-time employees will receive the one-time bonus of $2,000, which will be prorated for part-time employees. It did cost us some local money to get (the bonus) to everybody.” 

The Georgia Department of Education gave the school system $1,442,238 to cover eligible employees. It took about another $513,000 out of local funds to be able to provide the bonus for everybody, Hall said.

“The way the governor did (the bonuses), it covered who was allotted in the QBE allotment,” the superintendent said.

The Dublin City Board of Education also voted last week to give the $2,000 bonus to all its personnel, including those positions not covered by the state and to about 10 contracted positions.

The district, which has operated at a deficit this fiscal year until property tax collections began in February, will incur an estimated $70,000 in local costs for the bonuses for non-funded employees – and to cover Social Security pay for all staffers, interim finance director Betty Corbitt said.

In other meeting news, the board:

– Approved the following change of duties: James Clanton as assistant principal at NWLE to WLHS; Heather Speer from IC at ELHS to assistant principal at SWLE; and Jessica Tanner as IC at SWLE to assistant principal at ELMS.

– Approved the transfer of Eric Snell from ELMS as a para pro to CrossRoads in the same position.

– Approved the following resignations: Shanna Barner, teacher at ELMS; Dwayne Gibson, bus driver at Laurens County Schools; Carson Morris, teacher at ELMS; Natoria Waters, food nutrition assistant at ELES.

– Approved the following retirements: Christy Lord, special education facilitator at Laurens County Schools; Jeremy Matthews, teacher at WLMS; Nancy Sohn, teacher at ELP.

– Approved the following new hires: Amanda Carter, food nutrition assistant at ELE; Sarah Davenport, teacher at NWLE; Phillip Harris, teacher at WLHS; Kayla Jennings, teachers at ELE; Madison Lankford, teacher at WLHS; Kari McDaniel, teacher ELP; Lantysha Smith, teacher at ELP; Matthew Starley, teacher at WLHS.