After public school teachers in Pointe Coupee Parish planned sickouts to illustrate the gravity of their demand for a pay raise the School Board had previously promised, school officials finally agreed to follow through and authorized a partial pay raise during a Thursday meeting, The Advocate reports.

According to The Advocate, the board approved a total of $5,250, which included an additional $2,250 after initially approving only $3,000. 

After the board’s decision, a 6-2 vote, some teachers were so overcome with emotion they began to openly weep.

The hold-up in approving the teacher's raise was a domino effect caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. With voting on the property tax increase being delayed due to COVID, last month the School Board approved only half the amount of pay raises until January. 

But the board's new decision will increase teacher's pay by $1,250 in late December and an extra $1,000 in January. According to this schedule, teachers and staff will obtain full raises when the school district collects a full year of taxes.

Pointe Coupee teachers told The Advocate they planned to return to schools Friday.