A school district in North Carolina is apologizing for inadvertently giving 225 high school English teachers $1,250 bonuses.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said the teachers received the "recruitment bonuses" on Jan. 12. The district insists that the money was meant for new teachers.
"These 225 teachers are not new to their area and should not have received the bonus," the school district said in a statement.
The mistake, which was due to a processing error, was noticed on Jan. 12. The teachers who received the money were reportedly told about the error the next day and asked to return the money.
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"Employees will have the option of repaying the bonus in a lump sum from their February check or may choose a payment plan with deductions over three months," the school district said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools insists it's working closely with each of the teachers who were impacted by the mistake to resolve the issue.
"We value the work of all CMS employees and sincerely apologize for any distress or inconvenience," the district said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is the second-largest school district in North Carolina. It has 141,000 students and nearly 9,000 teachers.
According to the district's latest salary schedule, teachers with a bachelor's degree earn between $39,000 and $55,000 per year. Teachers with advanced degrees and certifications may earn more.
