$1,600 COVID Bonus For Prince William Teachers Proposed By Board

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Teachers, administrators, and other school employees in Prince William County may receive a $1,600 bonus for their work during the pandemic. The school board will consider a proposal on Wednesday that would award a bonus to all full-time employees.

The proposal would use more than $20 million in leftover funds, according to the item listed on the school board's agenda. Full-time employees would receive a $1,600 bonus, while part-time employees would receive $500.

The agenda notes that the one-time bonus serves "the purpose of recognizing the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices made by all Prince William County Public Schools employees during the COVID pandemic."

Earlier this year, the school board approved a 5 per cent for teachers and staff for the coming school year. Currently, Prince William County's teachers receive a lower median salary than their colleagues in Loudoun, Fairfax, or Arlington, according to data compiled by the Washington Area Board of Education.

The average teacher in Prince William County makes $69,252. Meanwhile, teachers in Fairfax County average a salary of $78,298. In Loudoun County, teachers make an average of $75,426.

The proposed bonus would work to close the gap in pay between Prince William's teachers and their counterparts in other northern Virginia school districts. Under the current proposal, the Prince William County school system would still have more than $10 million in leftover funds to take into the 2021-2022 school year. The school board's agenda said the remaining funds would be "reserved for enrollment uncertainty."

The majority of Prince William County students returned to in-person instruction on a part-time basis by February, after starting the school year remotely. Some students, such as those with special needs or who were learning English as a second language, returned to in-person learning in September.

At Wednesday's school board meeting, Superintendent Steve Walts will also outline the district's plan to return students to classrooms on a full-time basis. The superintendent's plan will allow students to opt for remote learning if they'd prefer, but will use in-person learning five days a week as a default option. "Intent is to return to 'normal' operations, such as no physical distancing," the presentation states.

The school board meeting will be held at the Kelly Leadership Center at 7 p.m. Interested residents can attend the meeting remotely online.