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Teachers, students and Columbia Teachers Association press board for higher pay
Summary
Dozens of teachers, students and the Columbia Teachers Association urged the Columbia County School Board to increase district salary funding beyond state-mandated increases, arguing current pay ranks near the bottom in Florida and is driving turnover.
Dozens of teachers, students and the Columbia Teachers Association urged the Columbia County School Board on Monday to supplement state salary increases with district funds, saying Columbia County teacher pay remains among the lowest in Florida and is driving teacher departures.
The concern dominated the public comment period, where more than two dozen speakers — classroom teachers, students and the CTA president — addressed the board. Dr. Teney Delaney, president of the Columbia Teachers Association, told the board, “The money that has been offered so far is not respectable.” She said the district has offered only what state law requires and that TSIA and state funds were intended to supplement, not replace, local investment in teacher salaries.
Teachers described working multiple jobs, spending personal funds on classroom supplies, and staying long past contract hours. Jo Reagan, a Fort White Elementary teacher of 34½ years, asked…
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