SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota teachers are getting a raise. The school board and the teacher's union reached an agreement last week to give a raise based on performance.
Teachers with an effective rating are getting a 3.25 percent increase, and highly effective teachers are going to get a 4.25 percent raise as they have in the past.
Sarasota teachers are some of the highest-paid in the state, averaging nearly $55,000 a year. Last school year, the state average was just more than $48,000.
Here's a look at the average in each district around Tampa Bay according to the Florida Department of Education:
- Citrus: $47,253
- DeSoto: $44,619
- Hardee: $46,466
- Hernando: $45,993
- Highlands $46,197
- Hillsborough: $51,083
- Manatee: $48,472
- Pasco: $43,079
- Pinellas: $48,409
- Polk: $46,823
- Sarasota: $54,719
- Sumter: $49,329
The executive director of the teacher's union in Sarasota says it's good to have these negotiations behind them after parting ways with Todd Bowden as superintendent.
Barry Durbin with Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association told 10News,
“I think everybody feels really good. I mean we turned a very dark page in our history when all of those things changed a few months ago. And we have an interim superintendent who really decided she wanted to work out an agreement, and now it’s time for our district to look and hire a fine superintendent," Barry Durbin, with Sarasota Classified Teachers Association, said. "I mean we ought to go on a national search and find the best possible superintendent we can find.”
Another big component of the salary agreement is an increase of up to 33 percent for some of the district's lowest-paid employees. School board employees will make at least a $12 an hour minimum wage. That's going to help bus drivers and school aides make more money.
Several other districts have just gone through contract negotiations recently. Nearly 5,000 teachers in Pasco are expected to get a 3.25 percent increase starting in February after the contract is ratified on January 29.
Polk County employees negotiated an agreement back in November with the union representing bus drivers, school nutrition assistants and custodial staff to keep health care costs from going up in the 2020 self-funded health plan.
A spokesman for Polk County Schools told 10News teachers did not ratify their contract changes last month, so negotiations are continuing.
Hillsborough approved an agreement with the union for a 4 percent increase for clerical staff, school nurses and teaching assistants back in September.
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