The Orange County school district will offer $200 to any employee who is fully vaccinated by the end of October, an incentive offered “in light of the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in Orange County,” the district said in a statement released late Friday.
Orange County Public Schools estimates it will use up to $5 million of its federal COVID-19 relief funds, if all of its about 23,000 employees show proof of vaccination by Oct. 31.
President Joe Biden said this week that state and local governments should use American Rescue Plan money, earmarked for COVID relief, to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated.
OCPS’ statement said that is what the region’s largest school district will do because coronavirus cases are surging in the county just ahead of the 2021-22 school year. Teachers report to work Monday to start planning for the new school year and thousands of students and teachers are expected at “meet the teacher” events at the end of next week. The school year starts Aug. 10
lpostal@orlandosentinel.com
