Stimulus update: Direct one-time $1,500 bonus checks to arrive in just two weeks
Misty Severi
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Some teachers in the Fort Smith School District of Arkansas will receive a one-time bonus check of $1,500 in just two weeks.
The bonus checks, which are designed to provide relief to veteran teachers who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, were approved in May by the school board and are set to be delivered by Dec. 15. The new funds will be paid out of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief budget, according to Talk Business.
BONUS CHECKS: SOME ARKANSAS TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE GIFT IN FORM OF ONE-TIME $1,500 BONUS
The bonuses will only go to select teachers in the school system, including adult education teachers, classroom teachers, instructional specialists, interventionists, and special education coordinators. Principals and assistant principals qualify, while district-level administrators do not qualify for the bonus.
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The benefit comes after the school board approved a new salary schedule, which includes annual salary raises. This year the average raise was $3,471.81, a 5.89% pay increase for the current school year. However, veteran teachers received a lower raise than new teachers.
The bonus payments will be sent out to eligible teachers as inflation remains high going into the busy holiday shopping season. On Black Friday, shoppers nationwide spent $9.12 billion in online sales.