At the monthly meeting of the Community Schools of Frankfort Board of Trustees on May 11, the board unanimously approved additional compensation to all school employees who worked this past year through the COVID-19 pandemic. Every teacher and staff member will get a pandemic bonus check.
In a signed resolution from the Board of School Trustees, it was recognized that “CSF faculty and staff assumed additional responsibilities, worked outside contracted hours, and unequivocally went above and beyond expectations…”
The stipend is anticipated to come from funds received from the Elementary and Secondary Education Relief, or ESSER III. This is directly associated with the American Rescue Plan enacted this spring.
The Community Schools of Frankfort have been meeting in person every day this school year. While Frankfort High School and Frankfort Middle School briefly transitioned to e-learning, the elementary schools never closed their doors due to the impact of COVID-19. In large part, this is due to the Safe Return to School Plan formulated last summer by Superintendent Joel McKinney and a team of staff members. The 2021-22 Safe Return to School plan is currently being developed and expected to be announced in early summer.
McKinney told employees in an email announcing the stipend, “Our Board members have been extremely thankful and proud of the work our schools have done this year to get through the pandemic in such an amazing way. Whether you were teaching or supporting the teaching of students in-person or virtually, your work has truly made a difference for our kids this year.”