PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The School District of Palm Beach County is proposing a district-wide salary freeze as it faces what Superintendent Mike Burke described as "severe financial challenges," including a $15 million budget shortfall and a $60 million loss in state revenue tied to declining enrollment.
In messages sent to teachers and staff, Burke warned that the district's financial outlook could make salary increases difficult this year as negotiations continue with employee unions.
WATCH BELOW: 'Severe financial challenges': School superintendent proposes salary freeze
"Our District is navigating a severe revenue shortfall due to minimal state funding and declining student enrollment," Burke wrote. "With an even smaller operating budget than last year, funding salary increases is exceptionally difficult this year."
The district lost nearly 6,000 students this school year, according to Burke, resulting in an immediate $60 million reduction in state funding because Florida funds school districts largely on a per-student basis.
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To help close the gap, Burke said the district eliminated 1,200 positions and implemented a hiring freeze.
"We are disappointed to have had to lay off some members of our team and still face a projected $15 million budget shortfall for the current year," he wrote.
The number of position cuts cited in the letter is nearly 900 more than reductions previously disclosed to WPTV, as we pushed for answers over the last several months. WPTV is working to learn more about those positions and how the district arrived at that figure.
Given the budget outlook, Burke said district leaders have recommended a salary freeze.
"Given our existing $15 million budget shortfall, the District made the difficult recommendation of a salary freeze across all positions for the current school year," Burke wrote.
He added that approving raises while revenues continue to decline "would require additional layoffs and drastic cuts to student services."
However, WPTV has been tracking the budget and learned in August that negotiations are already underway and that the proposed freeze is not final.
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Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association President Gordan Longhofer told WPTV the district's proposal is simply a suggestion from the superintendent as negotiations continue between the district and the union.
When asked whether raises were completely off the table, Longhofer responded, "no."
"Offering a zero percent increase, that's really hard for teachers to accept with the track record we have for student success here in Palm Beach County," Longhofer said.
Longhofer said negotiations are ongoing but believes long-term solutions must come from state leaders.
"Absolutely we're going to make the biggest change that way," he said. "And that requires a concerted effort on the part of district leaders, on school board members, building level principals, worksite leaders and teachers themselves standing in the arena with lawmakers to do what is right by the citizens in Florida."
Despite the proposed freeze, Burke said a separate raise approved this summer for veteran educators remains on track.
Under an agreement reached with the Classroom Teachers Association, qualifying instructional employees with at least 10 years of Florida public school experience will receive a 2.187% recurring increase to their base salary. The district said it also made additional budget cuts to extend the increase to approximately 1,600 teachers who fall outside the state's specific definition of a classroom teacher.
"While I am glad we secured this for our veteran educators, I'm disappointed the state excluded teachers with fewer than 10 years of experience from these dedicated funds," Burke wrote.
Burke stressed that a salary freeze this year does not necessarily mean educators will go without raises in the future.
"A salary freeze does not mean teachers should expect to go without raises in future years," Burke wrote. "However, we must first address this current situation so that we can plan for raises in future years."
The superintendent also pointed to the district's upcoming "1 Mill for Schools" referendum, which will appear on the November ballot. The district says the measure provides an average annual supplement of $8,000 for teachers and helps fund 900 teaching positions.
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