COVID-19

Miami-Dade School Board Approves $275 Stipend for Vaccinated Employees

Full-time and some part-time employees have 60 days to submit proof of vaccination in order to receive the $275 stipend

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The Miami-Dade County School Board on Thursday approved a one-time stipend for employees receive the COVID vaccination.

Full-time and some part-time employees have 60 days to submit proof of vaccination in order to receive the $275 stipend.

"Obviously, we are targeting two groups. The first ones are the ones who have already been vaccinated. We are going to reward them for what they did. Secondly, those who are not vaccinated. We are going to quickly incentivise and motivate them to get the vaccine," Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

Based on informal poll, Carvalho said about 84% of Miami-Dade public school teachers are vaccinated.

"We need more. We need all layers and levels of protection in place," Carvalho said.

Another level of protection Miami-Dade school officials won't back down on is a mask requirement.

"It irks me, it irritates me, bothers me and hurts me that children are becoming the political pawns in this despicable political chess game," Carvalho said.

On Wednesday night, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration filed an emergency motion asking an appeals court to reinstate a stay on school mask mandates after a circuit judge allowed school districts to continue the mask requirements.

Some parents protested Miami-Dade's mask mandate outside Thursday's school board meeting.

"We are not getting into arguments about people who want to wear the mask, that’s their right. But we have the right to not wear it and not force our kids to have it," Vilma Zapata said.

"Right now, everything is in the hands of the courts. We believe that the law, the courts, the judges, they will see we are acting in good faith to protect our students, families and teachers as we should be," board member Lucia Baez-Geller said.

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