Gordon Longhofer, president of the Classroom Teachers Association, spoke at the meeting and urged the board to approve the tentative agreement on teacher pay and to commit to 4% as the baseline for annual raises going forward. Longhofer noted Florida ranks last in average teacher pay nationally and said Palm Beach County has higher living costs than most Florida counties.
“Teachers are quite honestly earning every dollar they are paid,” Longhofer said, asking the board to treat 4% as “the new floor for annual raises” to help recruit and retain teachers and allow them to “live in or near the communities they serve.” Longhofer referenced the district’s return to an A rating and said teachers achieved that in spite of shifting state targets.
Longhofer’s request was framed as a recommendation to the board; no formal board vote on a specific raise or on the CTA request was recorded during the workshop portion of the meeting.