Teachers have been hailed as heroes throughout the pandemic as they work tirelessly to accommodate the ever-changing educational climate. For their dedication and hard work, the Russellville City Schools Board of Education decided to award a one-time supplement of $250 to each full-time RCS employee.

“There is not an amount of money that can ever be enough to thank them for all they have done, but we hope this will at least let them know how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate all they have done,” said RCS Superintendent Heath Grimes.

Grimes said several surrounding counties rewarded their staff with a Christmas bonus, but he wanted to make sure everything was done legally.

“You aren’t able to give someone a bonus for something they have already done, only for performance,” Grimes said. “We just had to make sure before we handed these out that we had everything straightened out.”

Approximately 300 staff members received the supplement, and Grimes personally delivered the check to the majority so he could thank them for their work.

“These teachers have shown up every day since August and have gone above and beyond,” Grimes said. “They were constantly having to learn new things and adapt this year, and they did it without a complaint. Our teachers always work so hard, but during everything with the virus, we have really seen them exceed all expectations.”

Grimes said he never fails to be amazed by the type of workers at RCS and their love and dedication to the students.

“I’ve always said Russellville is a special place full of special people,” Grimes said. “For everything they have done during this time, we felt it was only right that we did something special for them.”