SALISBURY — The Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved an unprecedented $3.3 million round of bonuses for district staff.

The district will pay each classified staff member a bonus equal to 6.5% of annual base salary. All certified staff will be paid a flat rate of $1,000.

Superintendent Tony Watlington told the board the chance to give a bonus like this will probably never happen again and credited Associate Superintendent of Resources Carol Herndon for bonuses being possible. Watlington praised the district’s staff for their efforts during a challenging year.

Herndon told the RSS board the N.C. Department of Public Instruction gave the district clear guidance the district could not use the millions in federal relief funding for this particular bonus. Therefore, the $3.3 million will come from local funding; federal money will be used to pay for other projects.

Herndon said the district is prepared to pay the bonuses to employees in the next pay period.

RSS expects to add $1.65 million to $2.65 million to the district’s fund balance, which is used as a savings account, by the close of this fiscal year.