Baker School District hopes to give bonuses to workers who stayed through pandemic

Published 2:00 pm Thursday, May 26, 2022

BAKER CITY — Baker School District teachers and other employees who have worked throughout the pandemic could receive a bonus payment of $860 if they stay on through the 2022-23 school year.

Employees who worked for one year during the pandemic and stay for next year could get $430.

The money would be from a state grant program designed to reward school employees who stayed during the pandemic and encourage them to continue in their jobs.

The Baker School Board voted May 19 to apply for $242,000 from the state program.

The district filed the grant “in an effort to retain our contracted teachers, classified and confidential staff on our payroll who worked during the pandemic and will continue with us,” said Lindsey McDowell, the district’s public information and communications coordinator.

“To my knowledge, there was no significant staff exodus during the pandemic, even when the vaccination mandate went into place,” McDowell said. “Although we won’t know probably until August, I am told that we do expect most staff to return next year.”