Some school district employees in the Tri-Counties are getting a special gift this holiday season. Every Santa Barbara Unified School District employee will receive a $2500 holiday stipend.
District trustees decided to give a $2,000 one-time payment to employees to help with the rising cost of living. And, the checks include an additional one-time $500 stipend to assist with increasing healthcare costs.
And, substitute teachers who worked a designated number of assignments with receive $1250 stipends.
The stipends will cost the district around $5 million. They’re funded by the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant program, which is funded by the California Department of Education.
