Vermilion Parish School employees will get $1,500 COVID check

Vermilion Parish school employees will be getting a one-time check for working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Superintendent Tommy Byler announced that school employees would get a one-time “COVID-19 Recruitment and Retention Stipend.” The check will go to full-time, part-time, and contract employees for the extra duties imposed upon them during the 2020-2021 school year, Byler said.
The money will be coming from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund approved by Congress.
A full-time employee works 30 or more hours, including bus operators. A part-time employee works less than 30 hours.
Byler explained to members of the Vermilion Parish School Board that all full-time employees would receive the same amount of money - $1,500 - despite how much they are paid. In other words, a teacher will get a $1,500 check, as well as a sweeper.
“Everyone of our 1,300 employees played a role in this,” said Byler. “We had people who had to substitute and people who worked in the cafeteria.”
Byler told the school board members that everyone went the extra mile during COVID-19, so everyone should be paid the same, despite how much money they make.
It was approved, 8-0. The employees will receive the one-time check in August.
“I appreciate you standing up here and saying what you believe in,” said school board member Chris Gautreaux to Byler. “The person who dumps the trash or feeds the kids, everyone is important.”
Some school employees thought they should receive a higher stipend check than others who made less money.
School Board Member Jason Roy said that was the wrong way to think.
“We all faced obstacles, no matter what their title or certification was,” Roy said. “Everyone had to do more than what their original job called for.”
Byler said for a full-time employee to receive the $1,500, they had to have worked at least 75 percent of the school year.
If a full-time employee only worked 50% to 75% of the school year, they will receive a $1,000 check.
If a full-time employee worked between 25% to 49% of the workdays required, they would receive a stipend check of $750.
A part-time or contract employee would receive $1,000 if they worked 75 percent to 100% of the workdays required.
A part-time or contract employee who worked 50% to 74% of the workdays will get $750.
A part-time or contract employee who worked 25% to 49 percent will receive $500.
Substitutes are not eligible for the money, Byler said.