Gadsden County school teachers and non-instructional employees could soon receive a one-time payment for $3,500 from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).
The School Board approved the request at Tuesday's financial workshop after a school staff member said she’s underpaid.
“You can only spend so much, and you have to have money for a daily operation, I understand all that," George W. Munroe Elementary paraprofessional Gloria McSwain said. "My thing is, give us a nice bonus and don’t let it take till the end of the school term to get it.”
Gadsden’s school board says it can’t afford to take out any more money from its general account. So, it’s asking DOE for permission to use the ESSER III grant or pandemic-related funds, for stipends.
"We cannot spend all this money when we're not making any money," Gadsden School Board member Charlie Frost said. "When everybody ask about raises, I want to show them our student enrollment. It drops and drops but we're still paying out the same money."
All district employees will receive a from the ESSER grant upon final approval of the DOE amendment.