Charlotte-area districts wage bonus battles in the final stretch to staff schools

A bonus battle is shaping up in the Charlotte region as school districts compete to fill jobs before schools open. The always-intense scramble to staff schools is fueled by federal COVID-19 aid.

The result: Recruitment and retention bonuses as high as $7,500 are being dangled for people willing to fill hard-to-staff teaching jobs in high-need schools. Bus drivers can expect higher hourly pay and other incentives.

And districts are getting creative: Iredell-Statesville Schools offers low-cost child care for employees, located at some of its schools.

So it's a good time to be a public-school job seeker, but the patchwork of incentives can be complicated. Here's a sampling of what's out there:

• $7,500 recruitment bonus for teachers in hard-to-fill positions at 10 high-needs schools.
• $5,000 recruitment bonus for teachers in hard-to-fill positions in other schools (must come from outside CMS).
• $2,500 signing bonus, paid in two installments, plus an additional $200 a month, for special education and secondary math teachers.
• $3,000 bonus, paid in two installments, for transportation technicians.
• $1,000 bonus, paid in two installments, for bus drivers and HVAC staff.
• CMS has additional incentives and bonuses for substitute teachers, cafeteria managers and after-school staff. Get details about all CMS jobs here.

Iredell-Statesville Schools

• $3,500 signing bonus for teachers in hard-to-fill positions.
• $3,000 retention bonus for all teachers at three high-needs schools.
• $1,000 retention bonus for all special-education teachers.
• $100 a month bonus for bus drivers with perfect attendance.
• For teachers and coaches who get their professional driver's license, $42 a route for filling in as a driver, or $7,560 a year to take a daily route.
• Tuition assistance for teacher assistants at some schools to become teachers.
• Get details about all ISS jobs here.

• The school board just authorized $4,000 recruitment/retention bonuses for teachers in hard-to-staff subjects at four high-needs schools. The bonus will be paid in installments, with different schedules for current staff and new hires.
• Get details about all UCPS jobs here.