Hillsborough teachers, school district reach deal for pay raises

Hillsborough County school district leaders have reached a preliminary agreement with the teachers union on pay, in a development that could help with passage of a new tax to support the schools.

The two sides agreed Monday evening to a teacher salary schedule for the largest group of teachers that starts at $47,500 a year and reaches $72,490 after 25 years of service. The current schedule has a ceiling of $68,000 after 23 years.

Teachers will also advance a year for pay purposes — an action that the district tried to block for the last two years, offering supplements instead, to prevent a deficit in its operating budget. Raises will be retroactive to July 1, with additional supplements for some groups of workers.

The pay package will add an estimated $38 million a year to the operational budget, about half of what the union had initially requested.

Before the pay deal becomes official, the two sides must agree on updated contract language. Then the agreement must be ratified by members and approved by the school board.

But leaders for both sides said they were relieved to have reached a settlement this early in the school year. In past years, negotiations have lasted past the winter holidays.

“These well-deserved salary increases will demonstrate how much we value their hard work and dedication as we ensure a high-quality education for all students,” said Van Ayres, the district’s interim superintendent.

The union, while thankful that the district came to the negotiations in the spirit of retaining and rewarding experienced employees, described the deal as just the first step toward adequate compensation.

“There is still much more work to be done to repair decades of underfunding and damage done to the salary scales by the Florida Legislature,” said executive director Brittni Wegmann.

More than 13,000 instructional employees are represented by the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, which also bargains for several hundred teachers’ aides and clerical workers.

The agreement comes as the school board prepares to discuss a tax referendum to support teacher pay. A resolution on the meeting agenda for Oct. 17 would ask voters to approve a property tax of $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value. That works out to $200 a year for a $250,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption.

“The national teacher shortage and increase in the number of resignations and retirements have created a significant vacancy rate in the district,” the resolution says. “And national exit interviews indicate that lower pay or higher wages elsewhere is one of the primary reasons for departure from the classroom.”

At last count, the district is short 355 classroom teachers.

Pasco and Pinellas counties already have special real estate taxes that are now common around the state, with the Pasco measure winning voter approval in 2022.

A referendum for such a tax in Hillsborough was narrowly defeated that same year, leaving the district at a competitive disadvantage. At the time, Hillsborough’s teachers were in a bargaining impasse.

This time, with negotiations settled, the district can call on its teachers to help with the campaign.

Danielle Shotwell, general manager of employee relations for the district, hinted as much during the final stages of Monday’s session. “We need additional resources in this county,” she said. “And we need to be able to partner with you and with our employees to be able to get that done.”

Board members Jessica Vaughn, Lynn Gray and Nadia Combs all said they would be in favor of placing the tax on the Nov. 5 ballot.

“I want the teachers to be taken care of,” Gray said, adding: “There is never a good time to ask for money.”

Vaughn said, “We’re just putting it on the ballot for the voters to decide.”

Combs, the board’s chairperson, pointed to the district’s chronic teacher vacancies. “Many are moving to neighboring districts, where they can live more affordably and be paid a higher wage,” she said.

All three board members are running for reelection in 2024.

But, Combs said, “this is a democracy and our voters can individually decide if they want to increase teacher salaries. And just like them, I will have one vote.”