All employees of Blue Earth Area School District, except the superintendent, are getting a $1,000 bonus.
Superintendent Mandy Fletcher says between 150 and 175 employees will receive the money in early February.
“It feels incredible to be able to do this for our hard-working staff at Blue Earth Area,” she says.
School Board members and Fletcher have been working the last several weeks on a way to reward staff members for their dedication.
Fletcher says Blue Earth Area was not able to give its employees a “COVID bonus” using pandemic funds like other districts because of its financial condition.
“Our general fund balance is much healthier today,” she says. “We have worked diligently on our financial goals the last few years.”
Fletcher says the current state of the job market across all industries and education relying on a quality workforce were factors for giving a bonus.
“It is an effort to show our employees how grateful we are they are here at Blue Earth Area and we hope they are here for many years to come,” she adds.
While the board voted unanimously to approve the stipend, board members Kyle Zierke and Jeff Eckles abstained from voting because they have family members employed by the district.