MFISD focuses on employee retention

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Administrators distribute $1,000 bonus checks

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  • Above: Teacher Raquel Alatorre cried tears of joy upon opening her bonus check and seeing the amount. She gave Colt Elementary Principal Erika O’Connor a hug in excitement. Photos by Nathan Hendrix/The Highlander
    Above: Teacher Raquel Alatorre cried tears of joy upon opening her bonus check and seeing the amount. She gave Colt Elementary Principal Erika O’Connor a hug in excitement. Photos by Nathan Hendrix/The Highlander
  • Right: Colt teacher Lauren Myers was surprised by the amount. This year’s bonuses were 10 times more than last year’s.
    Right: Colt teacher Lauren Myers was surprised by the amount. This year’s bonuses were 10 times more than last year’s.
  • Above: Colt Elementary teachers, from left, Raquel Alatorre, Diana Hensley and Haley Johansen were surprised by the amounts written on their retention bonuses this year. Photos by Nathan Hendrix/The Highlander
    Above: Colt Elementary teachers, from left, Raquel Alatorre, Diana Hensley and Haley Johansen were surprised by the amounts written on their retention bonuses this year. Photos by Nathan Hendrix/The Highlander
  • Right: Teacher Cristi Graham was one of the more than 700 district employees to receive $1,000 on May 24 as part of MFISD’s employee retention program. Teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff all received a check.
    Right: Teacher Cristi Graham was one of the more than 700 district employees to receive $1,000 on May 24 as part of MFISD’s employee retention program. Teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff all received a check.
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Marble Falls Independent School District officials were met with tears of joy on Monday, May 24 as they handed out $1,000 bonus checks to all district employees.

A resolution was approved by the MFISD Board of Trustees at the May 17 meeting as part of the employee retention initiative.

“We want to make sure that our teachers know that they are valued in this district,” MFISD Superintendent Chris Allen said at the meeting. “(This resolution includes) everyone who is a full-time employee as of May 17.”

The number is a significant increase from the 2019- 20 school year retention bonus of $100. Teachers and staff were appreciative last year. This year, they were overcome with emotion.

“I needed this so much,” said Colt Elementary teacher Raquel Alatorre as she passed out hugs to the administrators.

The bonuses were approved unanimously by the board in part due to the conservative management of this school year’s budget.

“We’re trying to retain our employees,” Allen said. “Given the fact that we’re projecting to have a significant surplus going into the end of this school year, we thought it was important to do this.”

The total cost is approximately $750,000. Bonuses were also given to substitute teachers who were active in at least 25 percent of school days.

“We want to make sure that our teachers know that they are valued in this district … we thought it was important to do this.”

— Chris Allen Superintendent, MFISD