About a month ago, the Beaufort County Board of Education announced its intention to give small bonuses to 360 employees of the school district, as part of the Merit Pay Plan.

The decision is a state-mandated one. The employees eligible for the bonuses are labeled as “non-instructional” and include custodians, child nutrition employees, bus drivers, receptionists and teaching assistants.

The Board of Education decided to award bonuses ranging between $225 and $400, based on longevity. The state did allot some money to cover the cost of the bonuses, but local school boards also had to shoulder some of the cost.

After this decision, there were some rumblings among other school employees across the state: Why those employees? Teachers don’t make enough as it is, so why not give bonuses to them, as well? Are “instructional” jobs less important? What is the legislature trying to do here?

These kinds of responses are understandable — and the General Assembly probably expected them to come up. When one group of employees receives a bonus and another does not, it’s hard not to ask questions and wonder what logic went into the decision.

However, when taking a step back, it becomes clear that while it may not seem fair, these employees deserve bonuses, too.

In a perfect world, all school employees would receive bonuses or raises across the board. That’s what they deserve for all of their hard work. Unfortunately for North Carolinians, the state’s budget isn’t set up to allocate money for that purpose.

It is no secret that teachers and administrators are just as deserving of bonuses as anyone else. These instructional employees should look at this Merit Pay Plan as more of a reward for hardworking coworkers, rather than as the short end of the stick.

It’s important to remember the people who make sure children are well fed, the people who make sure children are transported to school and the people who handle the office up front work hard, too. They are also a vital part of the school system.

In years to come, the legislature should — hopefully — make their appreciation of the instructional employees known, as well.