Stafford County approved a stipend for all public school employees on Wednesday, in a move meant to support the essential services and staff that have kept schools in the Virginia county moving forward during the coronavirus pandemic.
All full-time Stafford County Public School employees are set to receive a one-time, midyear compensation supplement of $1,000. Part-time employees will see a $500 stipend come December.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors agreed to the extra pay on Wednesday afternoon, after the county’s school board had requested it unanimously during an Oct. 27 meeting.
“No profession has been asked to modify their delivery of services in response to COVID-19 more than the education profession,” Stafford County School Board Chair Holly Hazard said in a news release.
“K-12 education is an essential service and our staff has worked very hard to deliver instruction and support services to keep some normalcy in a ‘non-normal’ year.”
Stafford County Public Schools completed its 10th week of classes last Friday.
About 60% of students in kindergarten through fifth grade have been participating in face-to-face instruction since late October, SCPS Superintendent Scott Kizner wrote in a recent letter to parents, with plans to expand on-site high school career and technical education courses this December.
