Gary Community School Corp. teachers and classroom aides received stipend checks Friday in recognition of their work during a challenging school year of virtual instruction because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The state Distressed Unit Appeal Board approved stipends of $2,100 for teachers and $1,000 for paraprofessionals or classroom assistants during a Friday meeting.

Money for the one-time stipends came from federal relief funds authorized by Congress to assist schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. About half of Gary’s students returned to the classroom in February for in-school classes and the remainder are still learning remotely.

District manager Paige McNulty said the state-operated district sought the stipend approval quickly to mark the final day of Teacher Appreciation Week.

McNulty said the funding was negotiated and approved by the Gary Teachers Union earlier in the week.

She said the bonus checks aren’t related to the $72.1 million referendum voters backed last November. McNulty said the first $1 million of that money was allocated in January for teacher base pay raises. “That promise was made and kept,” she said.

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, a nonvoting member of the DUAB, applauded the action.

“Our educators have stepped up like never before to deal with the challenges of this pandemic and I’m very happy to see them recognized in the way they deserve,” he said.

“Too often, we celebrate teachers and staff with praise and kind words, instead of the compensation that they need.”

Gary Teachers Union President GlenEva Dunham estimated the total stipend cost at about $740,000.

“We were pleased and we know we’ll negotiate again,” she said.

Dunham said 25 bus attendants, who are part of the bargaining unit, also received the bonus.

The Gary schools received about $20.8 million from Congress’ first $900 billion pandemic relief bill that passed in December 2020.

The district is earmarked to receive about $45.8 million from the $1.8 billion American Rescue Plan Act education stimulus funding, approved by Congress in March.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.