By Aman Jain. Originally published at ValueWalk.
More federal stimulus checks are unlikely in 2022, but there is still one group that is poised to get a stimulus payment early this year, and it is teachers. This teacher coronavirus stimulus check, however, is only for Florida teachers. If approved, the teachers in Florida could get a one-time bonus of $1,000, as well as a pay raise.
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Teacher Coronavirus Stimulus Check: Who Would Get It?
In November last year, Governor Ron DeSantis proposed increasing funding for educators for students K-12 as well as investments in new education initiatives. DeSantis plans to use the increased funding to pay $1,000 bonuses to teachers, as well as raise their salary from $40,000 to $47,500.
If this proposal is approved, it would be the second teacher coronavirus stimulus check in a row. This stimulus payment is a way to reward and incentivize 179,000 teachers and principals in Florida for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
The teacher coronavirus stimulus check would go to full-time pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade classroom teachers and principals. DeSantis’ proposal allocates $600 million to increase the teachers’ pay, and it is $50 million more than last year.
“By continuing to boost teacher pay, give bonuses to principals and teachers, prioritize workforce education, foster a strong civics curriculum, and replace the FSA with progress monitoring, we’re making a significant difference in the lives of our students,” DeSantis said while announcing the proposal last year.
Talking about when the teacher coronavirus stimulus check would arrive, the proposal states that it wouldn’t arrive until the start of the school year in the fall. However, the salary increase for teachers would start once the proposal is approved.
Florida’s Senate Committee on Appropriations released the budget proposal on Friday, and it is expected to be approved on Wednesday.
Other Education Initiatives In The Budget Proposal
Along with a teacher coronavirus stimulus check and salary increase, the proposal also sets aside $421 million for school safety and mental health initiatives. These initiatives include $3.5 million for safety programs at Jewish Day Schools, $210 million for the safe schools program, $140 million for mental health and $42 million for the School Hardening Grant Program.
DeSantis is also calling for raising the per-student funding budget to $8,000, the highest per-student funding in Florida’s history.
Moreover, the governor also proposed three major investments in Florida’s new education initiatives and innovative education programs, including $15.5 million in recurring funding to make available progress monitoring tools to schools, $500,000 to expand access to the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative into every school district, and $534 million in funding to support workforce education programs.
Many other states and districts have also rewarded teachers for their work during the pandemic. For instance, teachers and members of staff got about $1,000 in districts across Georgia, and Michigan teachers got $500 under the MI Classroom Heroes Grants proposal.
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