Posted by Tanya Arja or Debra Bellanti on 6/26/2024 2:50:00 PM
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Arja or Debra Bellanti
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Office of Communications
813-272-4060
Tampa, Fl. (June 26, 2024) – Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is proud to announce the district has reached a tentative compensation agreement with the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA), much sooner than in years past.
Superintendent Van Ayres stated, “The School Board, my team, and I have prioritized reaching an agreement with our employee groups well in advance of the school year. This underscores our commitment to investing in our employees and enabling them to concentrate on student success when the academic year commences.”
This agreement represents the largest segment of represented employees in the district.
Based on the district's current revenue, the bargaining team was able to offer an increase for employees, both recurring and non-recurring. This is a great first step in retaining our dedicated employees. While this is progress, our district is still not able to provide competitive salaries compared to surrounding school districts.
“This is a significant day for employees in the HCTA bargaining unit. These pay increases are so deserved and I want to make sure our employees recognize how much we care for them and are excited to welcome them back for the 2024-2025 school year," said Superintendent Ayres.
While this represents a substantial step forward, we recognize teacher pay in Florida remains low in comparison to other states. Research shows the #1 factor impacting a child's success is the teacher in their classroom. We must now work as a community to ensure we retain and recruit the best teachers and support staff for our students. The district has done its part, making necessary cuts, tightening our belts, and strengthening our financial outlook.
“We are proud of this agreement and so happy for our instructional personnel and ESPs. We hope we have entered a new era of settling contracts well before the school year begins. We thank the School Board, Superintendent, and district staff for this collaboration, and we look forward to starting this school year strong. We are encouraged; however, this does not bring us in line with surrounding school districts. Our children deserve a world-class education, and we must now all work together to ensure we can continue to have the best teachers and support staff for our students”, said HCTA President Rob Kriete.
"This is a positive move in the right direction. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure all employees earn a livable wage. We must properly staff our schools, ensuring we can meet the needs of our students," said Regina Gambrell, Vice President-Elect for HCTA.
Under this agreement, each employee in the HCTA bargaining unit will be credited with one year of experience on the newly negotiated salary schedule. The increase for each employee is dependent on their current step level.
It is important to note this tentative agreement was reached at the negotiating table and must still be ratified by the employees and approved by the Hillsborough County School Board.