VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County teacher union and school district have reached an agreement on teacher pay, ending a month-long impasse.
Teachers with one or more years of service will receive a 2% cost of living increase.
“I think everybody is walking away a winner today,” said Stephanie Workman, the chief negotiator.
Elizabeth Albert, Volusia Educators United president, stated, “It’s a win. Anytime we can reach a resolution without having to execute the full process of impasse, it is a win.”
The union say they wanted to match the pay increase given to principals and custodians. Teachers were initially offered 1.5%.
With the new agreement, the average Volusia County teacher will take home roughly $1,000 more annually.
The district and union also agreed to increase starting pay for teachers from $49,201 to $50,000. Workman noted that this makes the district more marketable compared to surrounding districts.
Other highlights of the agreement:
- A 0.65% salary increase through the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA), which reflects a 0.54% increase to the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) base funding
- Two days of paid bereavement leave
- An increase of $2 in the retention supplement multiplier for each year of service
Both sides acknowledge the need to address retention pay for teachers to help adjust the pay gap between new and veteran teachers.
Albert highlighted the issue of compression, stating, “When we remove the bottom and we don’t move the top proportionately, that’s where we get compression.”
Workman emphasized the importance of rewarding career teachers who have been with the district for 15-plus years.
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