Truancy officers, speech-language pathologists and support staff press board on pay, vacancies and working conditions

Several Duval County district staff and employees used the public comment period on March 4 to press the board on staffing and pay issues, citing recruitment and retention problems for truancy officers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and safety and training concerns for front-office staff.

Truancy officers Denise Johnson and Charles Cooper Jr. described the evolution of the truancy role from a part-time, retired-worker position into a complex job requiring community outreach, home visits, documentation and counseling. Both requested review and adjustment of the pay scale for truancy officers to reflect modern duties.

Multiple speech-language pathologists and a public commenter said the district faces a roughly 18% vacancy rate for SLPs, affecting about 38 schools. They reported wage compression — new hires earn nearly the same as experienced staff — and higher workloads that delay testing, diagnosis and services for students. Laura Emmel said hourly rates for current staff created compression that leaves experienced staff undercompensated relative to market rates.

A front-desk employee described a December 31 incident involving last-minute medication decisions for a student with diabetes after a health aide was unavailable; the worker said she received only brief training and worried about administering insulin. The district’s union representative acknowledged training gaps and asked the board to consider job descriptions and supports.

Board staff and union leaders acknowledged the issues and said HR would continue to review job classifications, mileage reporting and training. No formal action or vote was taken; several speakers left written materials for staff review.