HARLINGEN — For some school district employees, Christmas cheer is getting ready to hit home.
This year, Harlingen and San Benito schools are among the area’s districts stuffing paychecks with bonuses employees are expected to receive before Christmas.
Officials described the bonuses as “retention stipends,” or one-time payments made to help keep employees on the job.
Harlingen funding $2.7 million package
In Harlingen, officials have approved $1,000 “retention stipends” for all employees as part of the district’s budget, spokeswoman Brianna Vela Garcia said Wednesday.
On Dec. 2, the district will pay its 2,721 employees the incentives funded through its $287.9 million overall budget, Julio Cavazos, the district’s chief financial officer, stated.
The total package will cost the district $2.7 million, he stated.
The employees include 1,212 teachers, 1,147 hourly workers and 362 other employees, he stated.
Officials decided to fund the incentives through the district’s budget earlier this year, Vela Garcia said.
San Benito giving incentives
In San Benito, school board members approved a resolution to give $500 retention stipends to full-time employees and $300 stipends to part-time employees, school board President Ramiro Moreno stated.
After a closed-session meeting Tuesday, board members agreed to give the bonuses.
Employees are expected to receive the stipends in December, board member Ariel Cruz stated.
At district offices, spokeswoman Isabel Gonzalez did not respond to request for information on the number of employees expected to receive bonuses and the total cost of the package.
