JUPITER, Fla. — A group of Jupiter Community High School students has launched a petition and social media campaign advocating for higher teacher pay ahead of a Palm Beach County School Board vote in early May.
WATCH: Jupiter students launch petition for higher teacher pay ahead of vote
The petition, which has gathered more than 2,000 signatures, is paired with an Instagram page where students share testimonials about the impact educators have had on their lives.
Three Jupiter High School juniors — Hannah Russell, Sawyer Tinsley and Samuel Gilbert — started the movement to support their teachers.
"Back in 2020, I lost my mom to cancer… teachers began reaching out. They helped me shape who I am, to grow into being a leader in my community, advocating for what I believe in. And if it weren’t for my teachers, I would not be standing here today," Russell said.
"We're with these teachers the most. We see how much work they put in. We see all of their effort firsthand, and so it's so important that we are able to express that to everyone else and get people involved in making a difference for our teachers," Tinsley said.
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Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher pay, according to the National Education Association. Teachers in Palm Beach County also face a significantly higher cost of living than the state average.
Gilbert said he is supporting educators like his ninth-grade English teacher who struggled with these costs.
"She has multiple jobs. She helps coach, you know, several sports teams, and she helps tutor. I think it's really unfair that she has to put in so much effort just to make a livable wage," Gilbert said.
In early April, Superintendent Mike Burke turned down a recommended 3.5% pay raise. Instead, he offered a 1.5% raise that would continue each year, plus a 1.5% one-time bonus.
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The school district said a budget shortfall makes the full raise impossible without cutting jobs and programs.
"Teachers have been my hero, and now I hope to be their hero," Russell said.
The Palm Beach County School Board will vote on the proposed pay raise on May 6.
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