Longtime teachers at Land O' Lakes High School, Sunlake High School and Steinbrenner High School will see bigger paychecks this fall after both Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools reached agreements to distribute state-funded raises before a hard July 31 deadline.
Pasco's deal, struck during a three-hour negotiation session Thursday, July 30, gives roughly 1,960 classroom teachers with 10 or more years of Florida experience raises ranging from $1,400 to $3,000, depending on years teaching in the state, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The district's share of the state money totals $5.9 million.
United School Employees of Pasco President Jeff Larsen and lead district negotiator Nora Light hammered out the agreement just one day before a state-imposed deadline that would have sent the two sides to an impasse hearing before a third party. The Legislature set the July 31 cutoff after Republican officials criticized some Florida districts for delaying past years' teacher-pay allocations.
"We are making use of what we have, because the reality is, it's all we've got," Light said during the July 30 session, citing a potential $10 million district budget shortfall that leaves no other resources for raises beyond the state allocation.
The $200 million statewide program, included in this year's legislative budget, targets experienced teachers specifically. Lawmakers shifted focus to veteran educators after reports ranked Florida's average teacher salary 50th nationally.
Who Doesn't Qualify for the New State Raises
More than 450 Pasco veteran teachers who work outside the classroom, including instructional coaches and specialists, do not qualify for the state money. The district proposed using about $3 million from its voter-approved property tax referendum to cover those employees with bonuses.
The union pushed back.
"Now isn't the time to make that negotiation. At this point, we are not comfortable with using the referendum money as described," Larsen said during the session.
That same referendum has helped Pasco slash teacher vacancies from nearly 350 three years ago to about 30 to 40 heading into this school year, Superintendent John Legg said in a July 31 interview with Tampa Bay 28.
How Hillsborough County Is Handling the Same Deadline
Hillsborough County Schools, which serves Steinbrenner High in Lutz, reached its own tentative agreement before the deadline. Under that deal, the state money is added to teacher salary steps on the pay schedule, and every teacher receives an added step for the new school year, according to Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association President Rob Kriete.
The specific dollar amount per Hillsborough teacher has not been disclosed.
What Happens Next for Both Districts
Pasco's first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 13. Hillsborough students return Monday, Aug. 10. Negotiations between Pasco and its union continue on other issues, including health insurance costs and finding additional pay for the 450-plus veteran employees excluded from the state program. No date has been announced for when the raises will appear in teachers' paychecks.
