CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County teachers and school district officials will make presentations to the School Board next week in hopes of resolving an impasse over pay raises.
On Wednesday, the Clay County Education Association and Clay County District Schools will make their presentations to the Clay County School Board, which is tasked with acting as an impartial judicial body.
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Next week’s meeting will come two weeks after teachers, parents, and community members flooded a School Board meeting to express their frustration after salary negotiations between the teachers union and the school district hit an impasse a week earlier.
“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.”
In October, 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.
Following the public comments, Superintendent Broskie acknowledged the community’s concerns but pointed to serious budget challenges facing the district such as lower enrollment, increased vouchers, and inadequate state funding impacting districts across Florida.
Wednesday’s presentations will be held at 2 p.m. at the Teacher Training Center at Fleming Island High School.
The hearing is open to the public.