Teacher

ST. LOUIS (WAND) - A St. Louis school district is offering a $750 incentive to employees who can prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Following a school board vote, the Normandy Schools Collaborative is offering the incentive to any employee, including teachers, custodians, bus drivers and more, according to KSDK. Superintendent Marcus Robinson said 62 percent of the district's approximate 400 person staff have shown they are vaccinated, and more staff has started the process to get it done. 

While COVID-19 vaccines are not mandatory for public schools in Missouri, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Chief Communications Officer Mallory McGowin said officials have stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, as vaccines are the top prevention strategy to end the pandemic. 

Robinson said the district is taking COVID-19 "very seriously" and said officials want to "maximize the number of folks who work with kids who have been vaccinated against this deadly disease." 

"We knew we couldn't do anything close to what the state incentive is at $10,000 or the million-dollar lottery of Ohio," Robinson said. "But we know our employees well enough to know that they already care about the kids, and so if we gave them a boost--even a slight boost--they would do the right thing."

Students 12 and older are also encouraged to get vaccinated, even though there is no cash incentive offered to them. 

Robinson went on to say he's disappointed "more African-American students haven't been vaccinated in St. Louis County." To try and boost those numbers, there will be vaccines offered at Normandy's Rock the Block enrollment parties. 

Normandy starts its school year on Aug. 23, 2021. It currently has job openings available.Â