September 8, 2021–8:45 p.m.

STAFF REPORTS

The Floyd County Board of Education has tabled a vaccine incentive for school system employees.

The measure would have given bonuses to teachers and staff who get the vaccine.

The board is waiting on pending information about a potential future state benefits incentive before taking any action.

“Governor Kemp has announced a program with the state health benefit plan where if you take the vaccine you get a $150 Visa card or a 480 health benefit points which you can use for co-pays, prescriptions, and those kinds of things,” said Floyd County School Superintendent Glenn White.  “So, that’s coming about and there is going to be more information on that from the state health benefit plan.”

Meanwhile, the attendance incentive for this school year has been suspended indefinitely.

“Right now, with the Covid situation, we don’t want anybody in the school that is sick,” Dr. White said.

The board still wanted to give a $100 supplement to reward teachers for not missing work in August, but that could have had a potential impact regarding the Teacher Retirement System.

“We could have done that, but that was not approved by TRS,” Dr. White added.  “If our teachers had taken that, they would not be able to use their unused sick leave for this year.  So if you would have finished the year and had 10 days of sick leave that you didn’t use, they would not have let you use that on your retirement.”

Dr. White said that would have cost employees long-term money.