Teachers tell Alachua County School Board they are "overworked and underpaid" as bargaining stalls

Dozens of Alachua County teachers told the Alachua County School Board on Feb. 4 that low pay and stalled contract bargaining are forcing staff to work second jobs and are driving colleagues from the district.

At a public-comment session dominated by educators, teachers described long unpaid hours, inadequate step increases and a rejected district offer that many said failed to address inflation and workload. Their remarks came as bargaining between the district and teacher representatives continues and after teachers said the district did not present a follow-up compensation proposal at a Jan. 28 meeting.

The concerns were laid out in detail by Gina Rivera, a 16‑year veteran elementary teacher, who estimated she is owed about $12,000 when she divides her net pay by the actual hours she works. "We are overworked and underpaid," Rivera told the board. She and other speakers said the commonly offered 1.6% increase proposed by the district does not reflect what teachers called additional unpaid labor.

Specialists who work across the county described similar strains. Leanne Roan, 1 of the district’s four teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, said her step increase this year amounted to "$1.59 per pay period," and that she makes "less than $10 more per pay period than a first‑year teacher." Roan also urged changes to the mileage reimbursement for itinerant specialists, saying the district’s 44.5 cents‑per‑mile rate has not kept pace with rising gas and insurance costs.

Nicole Dean, the teacher for the visually impaired, described delivering equipment to students and then being told an accident that totaled her car was a "personal matter" to be handled on her own. "It's a slap in the face," Dean said, describing both the mileage rate and pay offers.

Several teachers asked the board for a transparent accounting of district finances and clearer prioritization of employee compensation. Dr. Chloe Winans, a science teacher at Howard Bishop Middle School, asked the board to "deeply prioritize what we are asking for" and urged that time be spent producing a stronger bargaining offer.

Gina Rivera and other speakers also asked the board to make good on a promised presentation explaining the district’s budget and how funds are allocated; multiple speakers said that presentation had not yet been delivered.

Gainesville High School teacher Joe Waddell and other speakers warned that teachers are leaving the district. "Teachers are leaving this district," Waddell said. Sadie Matucci, a recent teacher-of-the‑year winner, put the demand plainly: "Pay me more," she said, adding that she would remain in teaching long‑term if compensation were sufficient.

Superintendent Dr. Patton and several board members acknowledged the comments during the meeting and said staff and trustees were continuing bargaining and financial work. Board members and the superintendent indicated they are awaiting a final set of budget calculations before holding a district workshop focused on financial priorities; the board discussed scheduling a March budget workshop once those calculations are complete.

The public comments on Feb. 4 covered bargaining, step increases, mileage rates and the impact of low compensation on retention; teachers also highlighted specific service and administrative burdens—individualized education program work (IEPs), conferencing and extracurricular responsibilities—that they said expand their unpaid workload.

The board did not take a formal vote on bargaining terms at the Feb. 4 meeting. Teachers and other speakers said they expect further bargaining sessions and urged the board to produce a timely, detailed compensation proposal, and to make that information available to employees and the public.

Less urgent meeting items included routine approvals of minutes and consent items, but teachers emphasized that those procedural votes did not address the core bargaining concerns raised during public comment.

Board chair Rockwell and Superintendent Patton both said staff would continue work on budget numbers and communications; teachers and union representatives said they will press bargaining forward. For now, the district’s bargaining status remains under negotiation and no contract change was adopted on Feb. 4.