Some Palm Beach County teachers get second jobs to pay bills. Now they're in for a 7% raise

Katherine Kokal, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·4 min read
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Palm Beach County school teachers are in for welcome news this year: They're likely to get double the raise they did last year.

A new contract between the School District of Palm Beach County and the Classroom Teachers Association, the union that represents educators, includes a raise of 7% for teachers. The school board approved the proposal on Wednesday. Now it goes to union members for their approval.

The actual amount, however, depends on when their employment began, how they did on performance evaluations and the type of contract they have.

News of higher raises comes at a time when inflation has taken its toll in housing, food and .child-care costs. While 7% sounds great on paper, union President Gordon Longhofer said, soaring costs of living mean many teachers still have to take on second jobs.

"The work is not done by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "It won’t be done until we can look every teacher in Palm Beach County in the eye and say, 'You can just be a teacher. You don’t have to be a teacher/waiter or a teacher/ bartender or a teacher/real estate agent.' Having to do a side hustle to pay your bills is just not OK."

How do this year's proposed raises compare with years past, and what will school administrators get?

Here's what to know:

How do this year's raises compare with years past for Palm Beach County teachers? This year they'll also get a little extra

In 2022 and 2021, Palm Beach County teachers negotiated a 3.5% pay increase in their annual contracts.

In 2020, that figure was 3.25%.

Teachers also will receive a bonus of $1,500 or 3% of their salary, whichever value is higher.

Those bonuses are financed by federal pandemic relief money that can be used to “address educator shortages exacerbated by the pandemic,” including “improving compensation to recruit and retain educators."

The deadline for the school district to spend that money is Sept. 30, 2024.

From 2022: Palm Beach County teachers may soon see raises and bonuses thanks to a pending contract

How much does the average Palm Beach County teacher make in 2023?

Carla Rodas-Piña stands with her Latinos in Action class at John I. Leonard High School. Rodas-Piña is one of more than 12,000 teachers in Palm Beach County who stand to get a 7% raise if their union contract is approved by the school board on Wednesday and then accepted by union members.
Carla Rodas-Piña stands with her Latinos in Action class at John I. Leonard High School. Rodas-Piña is one of more than 12,000 teachers in Palm Beach County who stand to get a 7% raise if their union contract is approved by the school board on Wednesday and then accepted by union members.

If the collective bargaining agreement goes into effect, starting teacher pay will be boosted to $51,500.

Meanwhile, the average Palm Beach County teacher salary is $57,800, according to the school district's 2023-24 budget.

Last year, the starting salary for teachers was $48,175. The average salary among all teachers was $56,095, budget documents showed.

While the numbers are trending in the right direction, Longhofer said, the average salary for a local teacher rose by only 3% since last year.

"We need to be paying teachers more so that they don't have to have second jobs to pay their bills, giving them the opportunity to devote their full energy to teaching students who will be our future leaders," he said.

How much more will Palm Beach County school leaders make this year?

Staff members who aren't part of the union, including principals, assistant principals, program coordinators and other district-level staff members, are also in for a raise this year.

The proposal approved by the school board Wednesday, which is separate from the teachers union agreement, provides a 5% raise for school administrators and non-bargaining unit staff.

Those staff members are also eligible for the bonuses of $1,500 or 3% of their salaries.

How much does the Palm Beach County superintendent make?

Superintendent Mike Burke oversees more than 22,000 employees at 180 district-operated school campuses throughout the county. The school district is Palm Beach County's biggest public employer.

His base salary is $340,000, according to a new five-year contract approved in July.

Burke will get a raise this fall in line with the 5% raise approved for school administrators after he received a near-perfect evaluation from the school board in September.

A 5% raise will bring Burke's base pay to $357,000 per year. He gets paid more than his two predecessors Donald Fennoy and Robert Avossa, who made $306,000 and $325,000 per year, respectively.

Palm Beach County School board member Marcia Andrews and Superintendent Mike Burke greet students on their first day of school. Burke received a near-perfect evaluation for his work as superintendent, resulting in a likely 5% raise.
Palm Beach County School board member Marcia Andrews and Superintendent Mike Burke greet students on their first day of school. Burke received a near-perfect evaluation for his work as superintendent, resulting in a likely 5% raise.

What's next?

The teachers' contract won't take effect until it's ratified by union members.

The pay raises will be retroactive to July 1.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County school teachers see possible raise in 2023-24 contract