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Hernando Today

Teacher Raises Spark Discussion Among Board

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: June 25, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - It may be costly, but at least two school board members say local teachers have every right to ask for a 5.5 percent raise.

On Monday, the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association asked the district for 5.5 percent pay increases for the 2008-09 school year, just like the one recently awarded to Superintendent Wayne Alexander.

"Surprise, surprise," said longtime school board member and vice chairman Jim Malcolm, who voted against Alexander's pay increase in May. "It is to be expected that the association would ask for the same thing that the board prematurely gave to the superintendent."

The school board has traditionally given all groups the same percentage pay raise, a fact pointed out by HCTA president Joe Vitalo.

"We're staying with what the district has already dictated was this year's pay raise," he said.

School board member John Sweeney also sided with the union's request.

"I think the teachers are right to ask for what they did," he said. "I hope we can get them everything they deserve, and they sure do deserve a raise. We're going to swing for the fences."

But Hernando County School District officials said that given the state's current economic situation, they could only afford to give teachers the expected "step increase," based on seniority, that would give teachers an average of 1.14 percent.

Malcolm called that number "absurd," and chided Alexander for not accepting by contract the same pay increase as everyone else.

"He ignored that and went straight for the gusto," he said. "At the time, I said, 'what are you going to do when we just don't have the money for everybody else?' And here we are."

Malcolm suggested Alexander give his raise back.

"He'll start to collect his raise on July 1, when we're scrambling around trying to find money for everyone else," he said.

But not every board member felt as strongly.

"I'd like the moon, too," school board chairwoman Sandra Nicholson said. "But financially, we're looking at cutting everything we can cut. We'll have to wait and see."

The average teacher salary in Hernando County is $40,000. With a 5.5 percent raise, teachers would receive an average of $2,200 more. With the district's proposed 1.14 percent, teachers would get $440 each, with nothing for teachers who have been with the district for 26 years or more.

"That's not even enough to make up for the increase in fuel costs," Vitalo said. "Most people out there on a fixed income would say we're asking too much, but we're already behind (other counties)."

New teachers in Hernando County currently make $34,000 per year. But teachers in surrounding counties make more, such as in Pasco County, where teachers start at nearly $38,000.

"We need to try to retain our qualified teachers, instead of (them) going to other counties for an instant pay raise," Vitalo said. "We have more than 400 teachers that live in Hernando County that drive to Pasco to work there. That's almost 20 percent of their staff."

He also pointed out that last year's raise was 5.5 percent, plus an additional workday, totaling 6.04 percent.

"HCTA understands that the times are tough, but one of the ways to help the economy is to put money out back there," he said. "Instead of holding money in the bank, we need to put it into pay raises for people that live in Hernando County and will spend it there."

The two sides are also examining ways to create fewer steps in the seniority-based salary schedule, enabling teachers to make money faster in their careers.

Vitalo said the 5.5 percent proposal would not cost the district any more than the $75.9 million it has set aside for teacher salaries.

But finance director Deborah Bruggink said the numbers are incorrect, and that the recent removal of 19 teaching positions puts the available fund balance at $73 million. The HCTA's proposal also adds up to $77 million, she said.

She also warned that the collapsed steps could create additional costs in the future, and said district officials would like to wait until the state releases its per-pupil funding numbers in October before they make any decisions concerning teacher raises.
School board members Dianne Bonfield and Pat Fagan both also said they'd like to wait until the state numbers reveal the final impact on school board numbers, as well.

"We've got to look at the reality and see what happens," Fagan said. "I want us to do everything we can for our teachers, but they need to work with us."

Both he and Alexander refused to compare the process of union negotiations with the process of deciding the superintendent's salary.

"It's a totally different process," Alexander said.

"I get evaluated based on my performance, while the teachers' salaries are (determined) by available revenue."

He also declined to speculate on their request for the same amount he received.

"They're entitled to start negotiations at any point they decide to do so," Alexander said.

With a switch from last year's "interest-based bargaining" to a more simplified, to-the-point collaborative bargaining system, the process is expected to go faster than last year, when the average 6.04 percent teacher raises were not given until December.

The next negotiating session is set for July 24.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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