KOKOMO — Kokomo Schools employees who have gotten their COVID-19 vaccine will receive a one-time $750 Vaccination Stipend from the district.
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Hauswald said vaccines are not mandatory at this time for employees.
"The reasoning for this vaccination stipend is a corporation effort to maintain school operations and services during the COVID-19 pandemic by helping staff members overcome the barriers to securing the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as a direct effort to coordinate preparedness by providing school leaders with resources to help reduce the spread of the covid virus, and keep schools operating by reducing absences of staff due to COVID-19 related reasons," the district said in a news release.
"I knew I was going to get vaccinated as soon as I could," Katlynn Craig, a teacher in the school district said. "Because, you don't want it. You don't want to get COVID, it's not something that you want."
"I always knew I was going to, but I also have a mother who has cancer and I have other family members that I just knew I had to be vaccinated to be around," Shane Motlock, another teacher in the Kokomo school district said.
Funding for the stipends will come from CARES Act money and other necessary and applicable grants and district funding.
Hauswald said a conservative cost estimate for the stipend payments would be $600,000.
Currently in the district, vaccinated students and staff do not have to quarantine if exposed to someone with COVID-19.
