PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The School Board of Palm Beach County is holding an impasse hearing on a 3.5% teacher pay raise today at 2 p.m., and will hold a final vote.
WPTV will be there to bring you the latest.
We've been following the push for better pay for Palm Beach County teachers for months, and listening to concerns from teachers, students and parents.
Teachers have been vocal about the school district's proposal, as a new report ranks Florida last in average teacher pay for the third year, and the cost of living in Palm Beach County continues to rise.
The union is asking for a 3.5% salary increase, which matches the recommendation of a third-party magistrate, while the school district proposed a 1.5% recurring raise along with a 1.5% one-time bonus.
Superintendent Michael J. Burke rejected an independent magistrate's recommendation for a 3.5% increase. The Classroom Teachers Association and the school board reached an impasse in negotiations in November.
At a Let's Hear It event yesterday at Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach, teachers and parents made their voices heard.
"We deserve this. You constantly tell us that we are grade-A teachers," said Veronica Kivela, a social studies teacher at Santaluces Community High School. "It takes a village to raise children."
"Florida teacher pay is 50th in the nation, the school district is an A-rated district. We need to give our teachers A-rated pay," parent Christopher Butler said.
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The impasse hearing between the Classroom Teachers Association and the school board takes place at 2 p.m. at the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, and is open to the public.
WPTV will stream the hearing live here.
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Let's Hear It
