COLUMBIA — Lexington County School District One employees are the latest to win one-time payment packages for their work through a pandemic, after trustees approved the plan this week.
Under the proposal introduced by Superintendent Greg Little, the district's 3,875 staffers will get between $500 and $1,000.
“Since March, the men and women of our district have faced unprecedented adversity, and have done so with grace and a commitment to the students and our community,” Little said. “They have created new learning platforms, they have instructed in both virtual and face-to-face environments. They have worked to deliver meals. They have kept our buildings clean.”
Richland School Districts One and Two have previously agreed to special compensation at the same level for their staff members this year as well.
Little said the payments are a reflection of the district’s appreciation and recognition of the burden placed on employees as the pandemic has disrupted scheduling and forced many to work under challenging conditions.
The $1,000 awards will be disbursed Dec. 18 for full-time staffers active as of Dec. 1, while substitutes and part-time employees who work less than 30 hours a week will get their $500 payments at semester’s end.
“While we will never be able to pay our debt to employees, we are excited to show our appreciation in a meaningful way,” Little said.
Jeff Salters, the district’s chief financial officer, said that it is absorbing pre-tax costs related to the payments, so employees will receive the amounts agreed to by trustees.
“We felt it was very important employees got the numbers listed,” he said.
Officials are financing the payments using surpluses carried over from the previous fiscal year along with savings realized through building closures that cut down on utility costs, professional development fees and other expenses.
