SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. – A school in northeast Nebraska has approved new recruitment and retention bonuses aimed at strengthening its staff.

The South Sioux City Board of Education approved a plan this week extending the bonuses to staff.

Certified, administrative and salaried administrative support staff will receive a one-time stipend of $3,000.

Classified staff will get a $1,000 stipend, which will be paid over nine months. That will be on top of an 85-cent-per-hour wage increase.

The school board also approved higher stipends for positions deemed “critical needs positions”.

There will be a $9,000 stipend for high school math teachers, and $4,500 stipends for district speech language pathologists and secondary special education teachers.

The recruitment and retention plan will be supported by reallocating ESSER-provided relief funds and partially through the district general fund. 

The district and South Sioux City Education Association leadership group met Wednesday night and again Thursday morning to discuss and vote on the plan. 

According to South Sioux City superintendent Todd Strom, both plan to sign a memorandum of understanding that details the staff retention and recruitment bonuses.

Strom said the reallocation of ESSER funds means that that money will likely be unavailable next year.

“We, along with the SSCEA Leadership Team, are committed to continuing to examine ways in which we can support our staff,” Strom said. “We are extremely grateful to have such committed and talented staff working for the students of South Sioux City Community Schools.”