For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Arja or Debra Bellanti
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Office of Communications
813-272-4060
Tampa, Fl. (September 9, 2025) – Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is proud to announce the district has reached a tentative compensation agreement with the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA).
This agreement represents the largest segment of represented employees in the district - including both instructional personnel and Education Support Professionals (ESPs).
Based on the district's current financial picture, the bargaining team was able to offer a one-step advancement on the newly negotiated salary schedule for all eligible employees in the bargaining unit. In addition, the tentative agreement allows for many positions to be regraded or provides one-time payments for other positions.
“We are pleased to have reached a successful agreement with HCTA. These well-deserved pay increases reflect our deep appreciation for the hard work of our staff. With the school year off to a strong start and our students thriving, we’re excited for all that we’ll accomplish together in the months ahead," said Superintendent Van Ayres.
As part of the tentative agreement, highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals who work in our Designated Schools of Need are eligible for a salary differential - $2,000 for eligible instructional employees and $750 for eligible paraprofessional employees.
Separately, back in May, the district and HCTA signed an MOU which provides additional pay to eligible employees that work in our Transformation Network schools, as an effort to recruit and retain top talent to our lowest performing schools.
"We are happy to have settled the contract for the 2025-2026 school year. This tentative agreement reflects a collaborative effort with the district to ensure the state budget is applied equitably - recognizing the dedication of every employee who supports our students with excellence each and every day across Hillsborough County," said HCTA President Rob Kriete.
"This tentative agreement was an important step forward for the dedicated professionals who support our classrooms and provide essential resources to students every day. While this agreement marks progress, we remain committed to advocating for a thriving wage for the backbone of our public schools," said Regina Gambrell, Vice President, HCTA.
It is important to note this tentative agreement was reached at the negotiating table and must still be ratified by the employees in the bargaining unit and approved by the Hillsborough County School Board.
In addition to this agreement, each instructional employee is also receiving a $6,000 salary supplement and support staff is receiving a $3,000 salary supplement thanks to voters who overwhelmingly passed the Millage Referendum last November. Those salary increases have already been realized as staff began receiving the increases in their first paycheck of this school year.