Gov. DeSantis announces bonuses for teachers during appearance in Sarasota

SARASOTA, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by teachers, school principals, and superintendents in Sarasota County as he announced funding to increase educators’ pay and give some teachers and principals $1,000 disaster relief payments for working through the pandemic. 

The governor said a total of $765 million will be used to elevating minimum teacher salaries provide all of Florida’s eligible public school principals and teachers with the $1,000 bonuses.

Earlier this month, DeSantis announced during a press conference in Temple Terrace that he put $1,000 bonuses for all sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs into Florida’s budget.

DeSantis says the money is a way to say thank you to the people who have been on the frontlines from the beginning of the pandemic.