Central Lee board OKs one-time bonuses

BY PCC STAFF

DONNELLSON — At its meeting Tuesday night, the Central Lee Board of Education unanimously passed a bonus for all district staff who return for the 2022-23 school year.

The bonus is in addition to a 3 percent employee salary increase for next year. 

“Over the past two years, our staff members have overcome so many challenges to meet the needs of our students. By providing this bonus, we want to show our appreciation for the very best school staff in southeast Iowa,” said Dr. Andy Crozier, Superintendent. “We also hope that this bonus will help us retain our incredibly talented and hard-working employees as we approach the next school year. In this way, we look to help address the labor shortage affecting school districts in Iowa and across the country. We know that it is our staff on why students choose to be at Central Lee.”

In recent weeks, district leadership and the board have worked to determine appropriate bonus levels, aiming to reduce disparities among employee groups. Teachers, administrators, full-year office staff, full-year management staff and bus drivers will each receive $1,000. Associates, building secretaries, custodians, salaried staff and cooks will each receive $750.

All full-time staff returning for next school year and who sign a contract this spring are eligible for the bonus, which will be distributed in November 2022. The district will be using federal COVID relief funds for this expenditure. 

Crozier said the bonuses are not part of the incentives that Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in her Condition of the State address earlier this year. He said the bonuses will be paid with federal education stimulus money that was allocated in 2020.