$1,500 Bonus Checks For Residents In Arkansas, Will You Receive It?

Just in time for the holiday season, selected teachers in the Fort Smith School District in Arkansas will get a one-time bonus check for $1,500 days from now.

$1,500 bonus checks will be given in Arkansas this month. (Photo: CNET)

$1,500 Bonus Checks for Teachers

The school board authorized the incentive checks in May, and they are expected to be sent by December 15 to experienced teachers who served throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal budget for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief will be used to pay for the additional amounts.

Only a few teachers in the school system will receive incentives. However, the incentive is also available to classroom teachers, instructional specialists, interventionists, and special education coordinators. Administrators at the district level do not qualify, but principals and assistant principals do, according to an article published in The Gazette.

The bonus follows the approval of a new wage schedule by the school board, which includes yearly salary increases, with senior instructors receiving a smaller boost than new teachers. For the current academic year, the average rise was $3,471.81—a 5.89% salary increase. The qualified instructors will get the incentive payments as long as inflation stays high throughout the hectic holiday shopping season.