WCSD announces one-time stipend for teachers

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - A show of appreciation for teachers in Washoe County as the Board of Trustees announces a one-time stipend for returning and new teachers.

The Board of Trustees announced Wednesday an agreement with the Washoe Education Association (WEA) to pay returning teachers an additional $2,500 and pay new teachers hired for the 2022-23 school year an additional $1,500.

“The District deeply appreciates the outstanding contributions of our educators in response to the extraordinary impacts of the COVID pandemic, and we are aware of the impacts on educator morale and retention,” said Emily Ellison, chief human resources officer for WCSD. “We are also sensitive to the labor market and economic pressures that our employees are facing, and we hope this will provide some much-needed financial resources for them.”

The WEA represents about 4,000 teachers in the Washoe County School District.

According to the Board of Trustees, a portion of the differential payment — $1,500 of the $2,500 — will be paid from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, with the remaining $1,000 being paid from the WCSD General Fund.

The total estimate cost for ESSER funding is $6.4 million and the estimated cost for the General Fund is $4.3 million.

The Board cited an increase in the number of educators reporting burnout and leaving their positions as a result.

“We know that the needs of our employees extend beyond one-time payments,” said Ellison. “We are hopeful that these stipends, in additional to those already negotiated as a part of the WEA collective bargaining agreement, signal the commitment of District leadership to provide additional compensation in fiscally responsible ways whenever possible.”

The District said it will work with other labor associations that have already settled contracts for the upcoming year to implement similar add-on differentials that Trustees will consider for approval at future meetings.

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