Henry County Schools is looking to make the 2021-2022 school year one of stability for all students and staff members in the district after the numerous disruptions that were encountered in public education over the past two school years due to a global pandemic. To reduce the number of interruptions and shifts in instruction and learning, the district is providing a big incentive to its workforce of nearly 6,000 employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The district will utilize federally allocated Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds that have been allocated for COVID-19-mitigation to provide every employee who has been fully vaccinated or will be fully vaccinated by September 30, 2021, with a one-time pay supplement of $1,000. According to Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis, this latest measure is one additional effort beyond the provision of other protective and preventive measures.
“Last year was a challenge like no other for our students and our staff members as we were constantly having to adjust to the presence and possibilities of COVID-19 on our campuses,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “Our students and our families deserve and expect predictability and stability in their learning, and keeping our buildings open and supporting our employees’ health are paramount to these efforts. We feel that this one-time incentive proves just how important the vaccines are to our school district to make sure our school year is full of learning, and this is a solid investment in the best learning resource our district can give to students, that of a caring and skilled professional.”
According to the CDC, individuals who are fully vaccinated lessen their personal risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing serious symptoms or hospitalization if they contract COVID-19. Additionally, employees who are fully vaccinated are exempt from quarantine if deemed a close contact due to exposure to a new positive case of COVID-19. Instances of quarantine for teachers result in lost time in the classroom for up to 10 days and substitute expenses exceeding $800 for each quarantine. Therefore, the investment in a vaccination incentive is an investment in workforce health, employee stability, and steadiness in the educational experience of students.
Employees wishing to take advantage of the incentive opportunity will be required to provide proof of full vaccination status from already having received the required shots – one dose of the Johnson &Johnson or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna – or proof that the vaccinations were completed prior to September 30, 2021.
When asked about the attention this incentive may draw, Davis shared that she knows it is critically important to this fight against COVID-19 and has the chance to keep schools open and teachers and students healthy and in the classroom.
“The Board of Education and I care deeply about our community’s health and particularly the health of our educators, support professionals, and our young people. As a district, we are doing everything we can to ensure a safe and responsible opening to schools and a consistent in-person learning experience for students. The best investment in young people at this moment is to ensure a healthy workforce.”
“We know that vaccines are still the number one defense and preventative measure to help mitigate and stop the spread of this community-crippling virus. We are the eighth largest school district in Georgia, and we impact and interact with thousands of lives that then go out and interact with thousands of more lives each and every day. We are doing our part to let people know how important this is and how much we value their health and safety and that of our students, too.”
For more information on Henry County Schools, visit www.henry.k12.ga.us.
