At the board meeting on Oct. 24, the Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a resolution for one-time bonuses to be administered to eligible employees. This decision will grant full-time employees a bonus of $1,000 and part-time employees $500, with distributions scheduled for Dec. 20.

The proposal, recommended by Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing and supported by the district’s Chief Financial Officer, aims to reduce employee turnover and improve staff retention while boosting employee morale. The total cost of these bonuses is projected to be around $5.5 million.

To be eligible for the bonuses, employees must have been employed by the district in a full time or part time position before Nov. 22. Employees must also be in an active status or on an approved leave to qualify. Notably, substitutes and temporary workers are excluded from this bonus.

Further criteria states that employees who have been terminated, proposed for termination or who do not physically work by the payment date will not be eligible for the bonus.

This initiative is part of the district’s overall compensation plan, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in May. The plan allows for bonuses to be distributed as long as they do not cause any financial hardship for the district.

The district currently has a general fund balance of approximately $185 million, which is more than 25% over the Texas Education Agency’s recommended minimum of an operating budget, which allows the district to offer these bonuses without compromising its financial stability.