Horry County Schools to spend $7.4 million on staff bonuses. Here are the details
Horry County Schools employees will go home with a little extra cash in their pockets in the coming weeks after two school years uprooted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Horry County school board voted to give bonuses to all employees, including full-time, part-time and hourly staff and substitute teachers who work more than 25% of the available days.
Superintendent Rick Maxey recommended offering bonuses during his superintendent’s report at a board meeting Monday, leaving the amount of the bonus up to the board. He highlighted the extra work district employees have taken on in the last year and a half to respond to the pandemic, including contact tracing, sanitation and handling student quarantines.
“The administration and the board are in total agreement with one thing for sure,” Maxey said addressing the board. “Our employees have gone above and beyond to deal with all of the things that have come along with this pandemic environment.”
After some discussion among board members, a motion passed to give $750 bonuses to full-time staff, and $375 bonuses to part-time and substitute employees who meet the criteria. In total, the district will pay $7.4 million from its general fund.
The bonuses are set to be dispersed by the Thanksgiving break in a few weeks.
The motion passed 8-2, with district four representative David Cox and district 10 representative Neil James voting no. Cox had put forth a motion to pay full-time employees $1,000 before taxes and part-time and substitute employees $500 before taxes, which would have cost the district around $6.7 million total. District six representative Helen Smith moved to amend the motion to offer $750 and $375 bonuses after taxes.
“I just don’t think that’s enough to give to our employees as a bonus or a support incentive for all that we’ve gone through,” Smith said ahead of amending the motion.
The bonuses come after all district employees and staff are set to get a pay raise after the pandemic induced a freeze on pay increases for almost a year.
Teacher salaries at HCS ranged from $37,826 to $82,982 depending on years of experience before the raise. Two options presented in a salary study analyzed by the district bring the salary range to $38,737-$91,407 or $39,455-$84,870.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 11:39 AM.
