Compensation Agreement Reached
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL — It is no secret that the Florida Legislature did not provide adequate funding this year for Florida’s public schools. The St. Lucie CTA/CU and the District have worked together to get the most out of exhausted funding options stretched thin by legislative shortfalls and unfunded mandates. Both parties agree that educator salaries fall short of where we’d like them to be and are committed to finding ways to increase compensation for all employees.
For the 2018-2019 school year, all eligible teachers will receive a Retention Supplement of $850.00. In addition, $500.00 will be added to the base amounts used to calculate supplements. Eligible CU employees will receive a supplement in the amount equivalent to their step within the salary schedule and an additional $250 bonus.
The negotiated supplements for CTA and CU will count toward FRS contributions. They are non-recurring unless future funding allows for them to become permanent salary increases. This agreement is also subject to School Board approval and Union ratification.
Superintendent E. Wayne Gent said, “As our rising academic trends have shown, we have a team of talented educators on board who can continue supporting our students’ historic growth. We did the best we could in this lean year. However, Martin, Palm Beach, and numerous other districts have recently passed voter approved referendums to pay their teachers significantly more than St. Lucie County. We, too, must explore these options to preserve our continued growth and not jeopardize our students’ success by losing our best and brightest educators to other districts across the state with more attractive compensation.”
St. Lucie CTA/CU president E. David Freeland said, “While this is certainly not the kind of compensation package we want to bring to our members, it reflects the reality of a Florida Legislature that continues to undervalue students and educators in the state. We look forward to working with the School District to explore other local means of funding our schools and covering shortfalls created by the Florida Legislature.”
About St. Lucie Public Schools
St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) proudly serves students as the highest-ranking District on the Treasure Coast and fifth in Florida with a graduation rate of 90.1 percent. As a B rated District, there are no failing schools, and SLPS is ranked among the top one-third of Florida’s districts for student achievement. The District also has the distinction of being recognized as one of St. Lucie County’s Best Places to Work. The mission of SLPS is to ensure all students graduate from safe and caring schools equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire to succeed. For more information, visit http://www.stlucieschools.org.
