TAMPA, Fla. -- The debate over whether Hillsborough County teachers should get their expected pay raises next year is over, but we're far from a decision.
Hillsborough County teachers were promised raises for next school year, but the district says they just can't pay it. That's why the union is fighting back.
The district says they can't pay the raises because they're trying to cut back on debt and now they have to cover the state's new school safety mandate.
The union cites careless spending over the years for the district's lack of funds, but at Wednesday's hearing union attorneys couldn't come up with a specific area in next year's budget to cut in order to provide those teacher raises.
To give you some perspective, 10News did some research on teacher salaries. According to the state Department of Education, the average teacher salary in Florida is $47,858.
The highest-paid teachers are in Monroe County. The average salary there is $56,868. The lowest average teacher salary is $34,026 in Holmes County.
The average teacher salaries in the immediate Tampa Bay area are:
Hillsborough: $49,910
Pinellas: $47,794
Pasco: $42,316
Manatee: $45,778
The magistrate listened to both sides on Wednesday but he can take about a month before making a recommendation.
Even after the magistrate makes his decision, the school board has to vote and ultimately will have the final say on whether teachers in Hillsborough get a raise for next school year.
