CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Teachers in the Cabarrus County Schools district will now receive $1,000 bonuses. The school board unanimously voted on the dollar amount Monday night. Meanwhile, surrounding districts are paying out larger bonuses; Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are getting up to $5,000 bonuses.
“I thought with teaching every day would be different and I was right, and that every day would feel very important and consequential”, retired CCS teacher Kim Biondi said.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case these last few years due to the pandemic.
“Very frustrating, maddening, and soul-deadening," she said.
Biondi spent 21 years teaching, but after increased demands at work, the pandemic pushed her to retire early.
“If we are frontline and essential workers, we're not being compensated as much," she said.
According to data from Cabarrus County Schools, 130 teachers have left this school year. The district said most of the teachers that left went to teach somewhere else or left the profession altogether.
Across the Charlotte area, it's a similar story: districts saying they need more teachers. Some are now offering bonuses, but there are big questions on the state level.
“The salary structure is not within our purview, that is set at the state, so we have no authority over that," said Holly Grimsley, chair of the Cabarrus County School Board.
“There’s always talks about what we’re going to do with the money, but unfortunately for the last couple years the decision has been how much taxes can we cut first rather than what do we need to fund," said state Representative Wesley Harris (D-105) said.
Rep. Harris said teachers need to become a priority for the state, and called the bonuses a quick fix.
“It’s a bit of a band-aid to make some teachers feel good, but it's not going to solve our long-term problems," he said.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.