Collier County District seeks to finalize teacher pay.
Teachers in Collier County could see an increase in compensation, but they are running out of time to benefit from it early in the school year.
In the general election this November, Collier County voters will vote for or against what is known as the “tax neutral referendum.”
At no cost to taxpayers, it would allow Collier County Schools to transfer approximately $60 million from the capital budget to the operating fund. If it succeeds, the school system might use the money to pay teacher wages, according to a recent article by Dominga Murray of FOX4.
“Teachers are struggling to put food on the table,” said Pam Baldwin, Collier County Education Association’s first vice president.
The district’s educators claim they are not adequately compensated for their performance.
“CCPS students outperformed the state in 20 of 21 categories,” Steve Sullivan, another CCEA member, remarked.
The Education Association’s most recent request is for an additional $2,000 added to base salary if the referendum passes.
The Collier County Public Schools issued this statement:
“The District’s current salary proposals to the Teachers Union equate to an 11.1% increase for the entire Unit. In 2023-2024, teachers ratified and received a 12.5% increase for the Unit with individual percentage increases ranging from no lower than 6.5% to as high as more than 30%. In 2022-2023, teachers received a 9.7% Unit increase. Including the District’s current proposal(s), the Teachers Union will have an average of 11.1% Unit increases during the last three years.
The average Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) teacher salary of more than $69,000 and proposed starting teacher salary of $57,000 rank third in each category in the State. The CCPS starting salary is among the leaders nationally, according to the Union’s own data. The District is proposing to pay $20 million more than the State allocated to CCPS for teacher salary increases in the 2024-2025 contract year, while balancing fiscal responsibility and taxpayer stewardship.
The negotiating team for the District plans to continue to pursue steady, incremental teacher salary increases that maintain positioning among the leaders across Florida and the United States.”
Collier County School District
According to Ken Mouton, another CCEA official, this year’s allocation for teacher pay is $23 million, up from $26 million last year.
“They’re [teachers] being paid less as it relates to our economy and as it relates to inflation,” according to him.
To put those figures in context, teachers in the county start at $54,000, and the district is currently proposing raising that to $57,000.
“We can’t attract teachers at $54,000 a year, we can’t attract teachers at $57,000,” Baldwin stated.
Educators argue that a salary is insufficient given the high cost of living in Collier. This is why both the district and the union hope the referendum passes. Another issue, according to the union, is that the district should tap into a savings account.
“Our district has $122 million in reserves; now of that $122 million, some of it is assigned, some of it is unassigned,” claimed Baldwin.
According to data from the Education Association, $82 million of that money remains unassigned.
The union wants it for teacher salaries, but time is running out to make a choice.
“Teachers return on August 6, and students return on August 13,” Baldwin explained.
She claims that at this point, the district will have to pay employees back to July 1, which has outraged many union members. They claim the school system manages money well, but not in all areas.
“It’s fiscally responsible that you [the district] can be debt free in 2026, but it’s not responsible when you do it on the backs of your teachers when they can’t pay their bills and they can’t eat,” Mr. Baldwin stated.
The next meeting between the district and the education association will be on July 29 to iron out these details. The longer a decision is prolonged, the further teachers’ salaries are pushed. Fox 4 will provide you with the most up-to-date information from that meeting.
This article originally appeared on FOX4.