MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The School Board of Manatee County unanimously voted in favor of raising the base salary for educators and paraprofessionals on Tuesday.
The pay raise will now give teachers a starting salary of $47,500, according to the school district. Educators will also receive a $1,000 retention bonus if they began employment at the start of 2021.
Paraprofessionals will also receive a 50-cent per hour pay increase at each salary level as well as a $1,000 retention bonus.
The salary improvements would be retroactive to Jul. 1, 2021, and apply to members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Besides teachers, the workers who fall under the umbrella of the AFSCME include bus drivers and other transportation department staff, cafeteria workers in food services, custodians, maintenance crews and other employee groups within the district's operations division.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the 50-cent per hour, not $50 per hour, pay increase for paraprofessionals.
