More than 90 percent of employees in Henry County Schools have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

More than 4,800 employees in the state’s seventh-largest school district qualified for $1,000 in incentive pay after getting the shots, according to a statement released by district officials.

“We have worked diligently since the beginning of the pandemic to ensure an on-campus learning option for our students and families, and that is only possible when we have a healthy workforce,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis.

The school district, the county’s largest employer by far,

utilized various mitigation strategies since the beginning of the pandemic. Vaccines did not become available to the first licensed medical employees in the district until January of 2021, and more broadly to educators two months later.

To help make vaccines convenient to educators, the district utilized its own school nurses as a part of a closed point of distribution for COVID-19 vaccines — the only school district in Georgia to do so. More than 2,250 educators received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on campus during the March distribution partnership with the Department of Public Health, Piedmont Henry Hospital and Moye’s Pharmacy.

With the one-time pay incentive of $1,000 for any employee receiving full vaccination status by the end of September, the percentage of vaccinated employees took a sharp turn upward and has resulted in 9 out of every 10 employees getting vaccinated.

“We know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to stay healthy and prevent serious reactions to the virus. It also allows a person to reduce their time away from work which may otherwise have occurred as a result of quarantining requirements or any symptoms they may experience as a result of a breakthrough case,” said Davis. 

“From a district standpoint, it is extremely important that as we continue to provide a world-class education during a pandemic, we have a healthy workforce and provide an uninterrupted learning experience for our students.  We are thankful that so many of our employees made the personal choice to protect their health by getting vaccinated.”

To provide the one-time pay supplement for employees receiving the vaccine, district officials will use federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds which were allocated to school districts for the purpose of providing in-person learning options for students.