The district was closed Feb 3 and 4 due to inclement weather, but the board's vote ensures that district employees will be compensated at their normal hourly or daily rate, as if they had worked both full days, according to the district. The board also approved a one-time $500 hiring and retention incentive payment, the second part of a total $1,000 payment proposed in November.
"We think our teachers deserve the million-dollar retention bonus," Acting Superintendent Daniel Presley said. "But we don't have that kind of money right now; but we do want to honor our staff that has been through a lot with the $500 retention bonus."
According to district documents, the payment comes as a form of recognition that the COVID-19 pandemic has added to teacher workloads, as administrative protocols and learning models for both in-person and remote learning present ongoing challenges for its employees to overcome.
"We recognize that these additional hours and challenges unique to the ongoing pandemic have created a need to take corresponding steps to retain and support hard-working and dedicated staff during these uncertain times," district documents state.
Public commenters asked the board to approve both items and to increase teacher compensation generally. Krista Laine, president of Access Education RRISD—an organization made up of parents and community members that is not affiliated with the district itself—asked the board to approve the bonus.
"Educators are leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers," Laine said. "With no one to step into these jobs, retention is key for all teachers."
