School Board approves one-time pay increases for school district employees

Full-time employees of St. Charles Parish’s public school district will receive one-time payments of more than $2,000 and permanent part-time employees will receive $1,021 this May as part of the district’s revised and newly approved fiscal year budget for 2021.

The St. Charles Parish School Board unanimously approved the budget Wednesday night at their monthly board meeting. Full-time St. Charles Parish Public Schools’ employees hired prior to January 1, 2021, will receive $2,021, and permanent part-time employees will receive $1,021.

The one-time payment amount is the largest ever issued by the school district. In a statement released following the meeting, St. Charles Parish schools spokeswoman Stevie Crovetto said the move is symbolic of the challenges faced throughout the 2020-21 school year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

School Board President Melinda Bernard said, “We would not have been able to open schools on time, launch a new eLearning Program, provide social-emotional support, and keep our buses running and schools open without the determination, commitment, can-do attitude, and unwavering support of our employees. They have worked tirelessly during this past year to serve our students, families and community. This is just a small token of our appreciation for the remarkable job they have done.”

Added Superintendent Dr. Ken Oertling, “I’d like to thank our school board members for their approval of this one-time payment. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and supportive board who recognizes and appreciates the hard work our employees put in day in and day out to ensure students receive a high quality education despite challenges encountered throughout this pandemic.”

“While a price cannot be placed on how appreciative we are of our employees’ heroic efforts, this one-time payment expresses our sincere gratitude for everything they have done to serve our students and community during these unprecedented times. Our employees continue to go above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of our students and families regardless of the circumstances.”