Incentive offered for staff at Williamsburg Independent to take vaccine

Williamsburg Independent School District will double the monetary incentive by Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) for school staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Sept. 10, the KDE announced it will provide a one-time incentive for all public-school employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Staff will receive $100 if they have been previously vaccinated or are fully vaccinated by Dec. 1.

Williamsburg Independent Board of Education voted to approve an additional $100 incentive to the employees who meet the state’s Dec. 1 vaccination deadline.

“We are recognizing those employees who took the time and effort already to obtain their vaccination,” said KDE Associate Commissioner Robin Kinney in a press release. “We are also trying to incentivize those employees who have not already done so and encourage them to get vaccinated.”

Local districts are required to pay the initial $100 to employees, but they will be refunded by the state which has elected to use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to reimburse the districts.

There is currently enough funding to reimburse districts for approximately 88,000 staff members.

“The percentage of staff vaccinated continues to increase at Williamsburg City School,” said Williamsburg Superintendent Tim Melton. “The Board and I are pleased to be able to match the incentive from KDE.”