Employees in the Aiken County Public School District will receive a "Christmas & Loyalty Bonus" this year, with increased bonuses for employees who have several continuous years of school district work behind them.
The bonuses range from $150 to $750.
The Aiken County Board of Education approved a budget adjustment to the 2020-2021 general fund at the Oct. 27 meeting. The adjustment includes the addition of the loyalty bonus, overtime salaries for custodians, salaries for newly-created computer technicians and other changes.
Board members Cameron Nuessle and Barry Moulton abstained from voting, making the vote 7-0 to pass the motion.
Nuessle said he thinks district employees deserve the sign of appreciation and recognition.
"I do want people to know – I know it's not unethical for me to vote on this – just, my own household income would be affected by this, so I'll be abstaining," Nuessle said prior to the vote.
The employee bonus is meant partly to offset the lack of an annual pay raise – called a step increase – from the state this year, according to a presentation by school district chief officer of finance Tray Traxler.
"While the State was unable to finalize its budget, general fund budget amendments have been proposed to address COVID-related and other matters," reads the budget adjustment recommendation from the Division of Financial Services.
Traxler said the school district's salary committee discussed multiple scenarios for employee bonuses at its Oct. 23 meeting, ultimately recommending a bonus based on continuous longevity with the school district.
Here are the parameters for the Christmas & Loyalty Bonus, according to the budget adjustment recommendation:
• $150 for anyone hired between Jan. 1, 2020 and Oct. 27, 2020
• $250 for anyone working continuously for one to five years (hired Oct. 27, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2019)
• $500 for anyone working continuously for five to 10 years (hired Oct. 27, 2010 - Oct. 26, 2015)
• $750 for anyone working continuously for 10-plus years (hired on or prior to Oct. 26, 2010)
Non-employee, coach-only individuals will be paid $150, and people hired temporarily or as PRN will also be eligible for $150.
People hired after Oct. 27, 2020 are ineligible for the bonus, as are people who leave their jobs before the bonus pay date in December.
The estimated cost of the bonus is $1,528,850, plus fringe costs of $116,957. According to the school district's COVID-19 reports, there are 3,326 employees in the district.
The budget adjustment also accounts for overtime salaries for custodians performing after-hours and weekend cleaning of classrooms, working outside of their normal hours and working at athletic events. Additional custodial supplies are included in the adjustment, as well.
Teachers who have been teaching additional classes will receive stipends as part of the adjustment.
Liner's motion
School board chairman Keith Liner said he is concerned about the delay of a step increase for employees' salaries.
"I'd like to have select members of the salary committee meet with the legislative delegation before the January session begins to discuss the problem with delaying the step increase until the 2021-2022 budget," Liner said, in the form of a motion.
The school board members approved this motion unanimously.
"This may be a fruitless effort," Liner said, "but I think it's incumbent on us to go and try to plead our case to the delegation so that our employees won't go another year or multiple years without a step increase, if they don't take some action on it early in the session."
