PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV has obtained a breakdown of the budget impacts the school district would face if it meets the demand of educators and the Classroom Teacher's Association to give teachers a 3.5% raise.
Passions ran high in Palm Beach County this week, as teachers, parents and community members pleaded with school board members for the raise for nearly four hours — even if it means dipping into reserves.
WATCH: School district facing stark budget realities
“We’re just asking you to do what’s hard and right, pay us,” one educator told the board during the nearly four-hour meeting.
The request comes at a time when the district says it faces stark budget realities: Higher raises would require letting go of more than 250 employees, including 192 teachers, 19 administrators and 43 office assistants.
WPTV has been closely following this impasse since November.
In early April, Superintendent Mike Burke rejected the 3.5% proposal, offering a 1.5% reoccurring raise along with a 1.5% one-time bonus instead.
The offer didn't sit well with parents, educators and other supporters.
‘Rainy Day’ Funds — or a Budget Storm?
In recent years, the district has made a point to highlight teacher pay increases, including a 10% raise package in 2023–24 and 4% in 2024–25.
“The School District of Palm Beach County deeply values its teachers,” a district statement reads, “and has demonstrated that commitment with five consecutive years of consistent salary increases. The current financial reality this year does not allow us to provide teachers a higher raise.”
Some educators pointed to the nearly $454 million sitting in the district’s reserves.
“You want to hold it for that rainy day,” one teacher said. “It’s not just raining, it’s a Category 5 hurricane and a huge tornado going on.”
Education
Palm Beach County teachers dispute rejected pay raise and hearing
But district officials say most of that money is tied up for specific purposes — things like state categorical programs, instructional material adoptions, afterschool programs and legal settlements — leaving just $160 million unassigned. That’s roughly one month of payroll.
Using those funds for permanent raises, officials argue, would cause a long-term crisis, because once the reserves run out, the salary obligations remain.
Enrollment Drop Creates Shortfall
The district points to what it calls the largest enrollment decline in its history. In 2025–26, student numbers fell by more than 7,000 — 18 times higher than projections — creating a $66 million revenue shortfall.
Factors, according to the district, include declining birth rates, immigration policy changes, cost-of-living pressures, and the expansion of Family Empowerment Scholarship vouchers. Of the 4,273 voucher recipients who left, only about 1,800 had previously attended district schools. Home school enrollment also rose by 160.
Questionable Spending?
Some parents challenged the district’s spending priorities.
“Elementary school received brand-new devices this year even though the previous ones were fully functional. Millions of dollars could have gone to teachers,” one parent remarked.
District officials explain that capital funds — used for technology, laptops, copiers and other equipment — are legally restricted and cannot be spent on teacher salaries.
Teacher salaries would fall under operational funds.
The Offer on the Table
The district’s current offer is 1.5% recurring increase plus a 1.5% lump sum — a package that already exceeds revenue for this year and would reduce reserves by about $50 million, bringing the unassigned balance down to $110 million.
Officials say reserves were built intentionally using one-time pandemic-era funding and must be spent strategically to avoid large-scale cuts to programs and jobs.
“We have consistently fought for higher teacher pay and greater state funding for public education,” the statement continues, noting that the state funded only a 0.6% teacher raise this year. “This year’s offer protects jobs and student services while honoring that commitment within the limits of a difficult budget year.”
A Meeting Teachers Can't Attend?
We met with the Classroom Teachers Association (CTA) on Monday as the final impasse hearing is set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6.
According to the CTA, some teachers are still in classrooms until 4 p.m., essentially shutting them out of attending in person.
WATCH: Final teacher pay meeting scheduled during work hours
“Quite honestly I’m appalled that this meeting is scheduled to take place when teachers must be at work,” said Gordon Longhofer, president of the CTA.
He says the average teacher salary — “not talking about referendum is 62 and change” — needs to be higher, and these discussions should happen in front of teachers, not while they’re in classrooms.
“You ought to at least do it in front of them when they can sit there and watch you and by their presence hold you accountable by the decision,” Longhofer said.
When asked if they’ve requested a change, Longhofer said, “We did make a request of that through our attorneys. The date they offered after that was into July, which is absurd. Then we’re talking about a vote by teachers next year, some of whom aren’t even teaching now about what teachers this year should have been paid.”
For now, the school board must decide: grant the higher raise and risk programs and jobs, or keep the offer sustainable and protect services, knowing teachers say it still falls short of what they deserve.
State-Level Funding Questions
The bigger issue, some say, is at the state level. Teachers’ pay has struggled to keep pace with rising costs, and local leaders are calling for more resources from Tallahassee.
The Florida Department of Education has been asked if it has solutions for districts facing high living costs for teachers — and answers could help shape Palm Beach County’s future decisions.
Teachers Speak Out About What Pay Raise Means
Rosey Gekas, who said she’s been a teacher in the School District of Palm Beach County for more than 20 years, tells WPTV's Ethan Stein she’s making around $66,000. She said she loves her job and has had opportunity to make more money, but she believes her current job is too important to leave.
“I feel like I’m making a difference,” Gekas said. “But, it’s so difficult when you have to work two or three jobs and you don’t get home until 11, 12 o’clock. And you have to be here and try to teach and give them all your energy. And you’re exhausted. And you get sick because you’re overworking.”
WATCH: Teachers speak out over pay raises
She said she’s especially disappointed that a special magistrate judge said the district’s budget “clearly” had enough money to support a higher salary jump than 1.5% for teachers.
Jessyca Hutchinson, who also said she’s taught at the district for around 20 years, said she’s being priced out her community because her teacher salary isn’t keeping up with inflation.
“We’re like getting pushed out of where we live and teach because we can’t afford to be here,” she said. “...It becomes this vicious cycle of us trying to fight against exhaustion, but still also be inspiring. But, it’s hard to do that when we’re fighting for something the district shouldn’t be making us fight for.”
Hutchinson said dozens of other teachers want to speak out about their disappointment and frustration, but many people are scared and nervous to speak out in fear of retaliation. However, about 70 other educators did express their displeasure at a Board of Education Meeting on Wednesday night.
WPTV posed this question on our Facebook today: "Are you willing to lose some student services and 250 staff members in order to increase teacher pay by 3.5 percent?"
Full statement by the school district:
The School District of Palm Beach County deeply values its teachers and has demonstrated that commitment with five consecutive years of consistent salary increases, including a 10% raise package in 2023-24 and a 4% raise package in 2024-25. The current financial reality this year does not allow us to provide teachers a higher raise.
The School District lost more than 7,000 students in 2025-26, which is 18 times our projection and the largest enrollment decline in our history. This results in a $66 million revenue shortfall in the budget.
The decline is driven by a combination of factors: declining birth rates, immigration policy changes, cost-of-living pressures, and the state's expansion of Family Empowerment Scholarship vouchers. Charter school enrollment in Palm Beach County has declined over the past three years. Of students who left the School District, voucher recipients increased by approximately 4,273, though only about 1,800 of those had previously attended a School District school. Home school enrollment increased by 160.
The School District rejected the Magistrate’s recommendation. Accepting it would require the irresponsible use of reserves or require 250 employees to lose their jobs, including 192 teachers, 19 administrators, and 43 office assistants.
The School District has $454 million in its total fund balance. Of that, $290 million is legally restricted or assigned for specific purposes, including restricted state categorical programs ($71 million), Board contingency ($91 million), Instructional Material Adoptions ($41 million), reading categorical and school support ($29 million), afterschool and pre-K fee-based programs ($25 million), settlements ($18 million), local grants and donations ($7 million), and purchase orders ($5 million).
Only $160 million is unassigned, which equals approximately one month of District payroll. Using that money to fund permanent salary increases would create a long-term crisis. Once the reserves are exhausted, the salary obligation remains, and the School District would have no choice but to make the kind of large-scale cuts to jobs and programs it is working to avoid.
The District’s current proposal of 1.5% recurring increase plus a 1.5% lump sum exceeds the amount of revenue in the current year and will reduce the $160 million available reserve by $50 million (down to $110 million). These reserves were built intentionally using one-time, pandemic-era funding. The District must spend them down strategically, and not deplete them entirely to fund permanent salary increases.
Laptops, copiers, and instructional technology equipment are paid for using capital funds, which state law restricts to specific purposes. Capital funds cannot be used for teacher salaries.
Over the past several years, the School District invested more than $270 million in teacher compensation. The state funded only a 0.6% teacher raise this year. The School District worked hard to go further, proposing a raise package for teachers five times that amount. The School District shares the frustration that this year's budget does not allow for higher teacher raises. At this time, we're operating under significant financial constraints due to a $66 million revenue loss from declining enrollment.
The School District has consistently fought for higher teacher pay and greater state funding for public education. This year's offer protects jobs and student services while honoring that commitment within the limits of a difficult budget year. The District's salary offer this year, which is less than what teachers deserve, is fiscally sustainable and will not lead to large-scale reductions of services and jobs.
