CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A strong push to increase teacher pay took center stage at a Thursday night Clay County school board meeting.
Teachers, parents, and community members flooded the meeting to express their frustration after salary negotiations between the Clay County Education Association and the school district hit an impasse last week.
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“We stand with the teachers who have to work two to three jobs to stay afloat,” one community member said during public comments.
Local resident Dunia Jean-Baptiste urged the school board to reflect on their responsibilities.
“Clay County ranks high among Florida school districts for quality, yet when it comes to paying teachers, we rank near the bottom,” Dunia said. “If everything is possible, then it is possible for you to check your resources and give teachers what they have earned...the time is now.”
A local teacher named Victoria highlighted the extensive unpaid work teachers do.
“We are contracted to work seven and a half hours, but that doesn’t include the time before and after school,” she explained. Creating lessons, grading, tutoring, running clubs — it all adds up to many more hours than we are paid for...We deserve fair pay.”
Last week, the Clay County School District and the teachers’ union met but failed to reach an agreement on salary increases. The union says the district offered veteran teachers an increase of $400 to $800 annually, with no raises for teachers who have worked less than nine years.
The union has now turned the issue over to the Clay County School Board, which is expected to moderate and decide on the negotiations in November.
Following the public comments, Superintendent Broskie acknowledged the community’s concerns but pointed to serious budget challenges facing the district. “We hear their concerns,” Broskie said. “But the district is dealing with lower enrollment, increased vouchers, and inadequate state funding impacting districts across Florida.”
The story is ongoing, and News4JAX will continue to follow developments on this matter.