CCSD strikes tentative deal to pay employees $2K retention bonus

The Clark County School District announced Thursday it has reached tentative agreements with worker unions to grant a retention bonus of up to $2,000 for each full-time worker.

Employees connected the occupation arsenic of Jan. 1 volition person $1,000. They’re eligible for an further $1,000 if they’re inactive moving connected May 25, nether the agreement.

The retention bonus is “one much mode to enactment and convey employees and mitigate the economical interaction of the COVID pandemic,” the territory said successful a statement.

The determination comes arsenic the territory faces a staffing shortage that has gotten worse since schoolhouse began successful aboriginal August. There were astir 850 licensed worker vacancies and hundreds of enactment unit openings arsenic of mid-December.

And with a surge successful COVID-19 lawsuit numbers arsenic schools reopened Wednesday aft wintertime break, pupil and worker absences complaint were higher than average, exacerbating the existing staffing challenges.

The territory is allocating astir $80 cardinal successful national coronavirus alleviation wealth to money the bonuses. A memorandum of statement volition beryllium presented to the School Board for support connected Jan. 13.

“The committee is grateful for the committedness our employees person maintained passim the pandemic to supply the champion imaginable enactment for students,” School Board President Irene Cepeda said successful the statement. “This statement is simply a tiny mode to amusement employees our appreciation for their dedication to the children of Clark County.”

The pandemic has “stressed everyone successful our assemblage and crossed the country” and the statement with worker unions is different measurement to amusement acknowledgment for territory employees, Superintendent Jesus Jara said successful the statement.

“We admit the hardships borne by truthful galore of our employees passim this pandemic and are committed to providing the resources disposable to enactment educators’ needs,” helium said.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener astatine jgreener@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton connected Twitter.