AUBURN — Superintendent Cornelia Brown will ask the School Committee to consider a $1,000 premium pay for all district employees and $1,500 referral bonus at their meeting Wednesday night.

If approved, all employees will receive $1,000 in recognition of “the extraordinary effort that everyone has made to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students and working hard to keep in-person learning in place, while doing so safely,” Brown wrote in a memo. The $1,500 referral bonus would be given to staff members who successfully recruit new employees to the district.

Brown will propose using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds to cover the premium pay, while referral bonuses would be paid for using district funding.

“We’re one of the few districts that hasn’t had at least one building (close) because of staff shortages,” Brown said. “That’s because the people here are just knocking it out of the park in terms of what they’re doing to keep kids in school.”

Brown has previously discussed premium pay with Auburn Education Association leadership, she said. A newsletter from the secretary of education which underscored that ESSR funds could be used to provide premium pay helped seal the deal.

In total, she estimates the premium pay would use $720,000 of the district’s ESSR funds, federal money granted to districts to help schools open and stay open during the pandemic.

All employees will receive the same amount regardless of their role, salary or hours worked, she said.

“I can’t point out a single person who has not made a contribution to keeping the doors open this year,” she said.

On the same thread, Brown said the district is in need of staff in every department and hopes the proposed referral bonus will help alleviate the districts staffing shortage. Many districts have offered referral or sign-on bonuses for drivers, but less commonly for all staff positions.

The finance subcommittee will consider Brown’s recommendation at their Feb. 10 meeting. If approved by the finance subcommittee, the School Committee will hold a vote Feb. 16.

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