Staff within the Polk School District are going to have an extra boost in January thanks to a bonus supplement mostly funded by the state, but also supplemented with local funds.

Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas told the Board of Education during their Tuesday combined session that the bonus promised by Governor Brian Kemp to all educators across the state has arrived, but it would need some supplemental funds from the district coffers to ensure that everyone gets a check this month.

“Much talk has centered around this topic when we got the surprise announcement after everyone went home for break,” Thomas said. “We as a district received information and began working on it since we returned from break regarding an incentive.”

She reported the incentive provided by the state totaled $872,222 and to fund everyone getting a check this month, they would have to vote to add $258,255.64 to cover the bonus.

“What’s is not known about these incentives is that often the incentives do not fund all employee groups,” Thomas explained. “It is dependent on a formula that the state gives and we have to wait to get that information and do our calculations and look at the budget.”

The plan is to give full time employees a separate $1,000 check, and then employees depending on their part time status would get a $490 to 49% or $390 to 39% employees also in a separate check from their normal pay. The supplemental money approved by the Board of Education is expected to be distributed before January 26.

“I echo the Governor’s sentiment in the fact that we have hard working employees that deserve every penny that they get and more,” she said. “We can never fully fund them for the hard work they put in on a daily basis.”

The approval was unanimous during the January session.