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Teachers and union leaders press Polk board for higher pay as contract talks continue
Summary
Union president Stephanie Yocom and multiple speakers urged the Polk County School Board to prioritize salary increases, fund local millage and work with the legislative delegation to address teacher pay; several teachers described financial hardship and the district's recruitment/retention challenges.
Speakers during the Feb. 25 public-comment portion urged the Polk County School Board to take immediate steps to raise teacher pay and to support a local funding mechanism, as union and district contract talks continued.
Stephanie Yocom, president of the Polk Education Association, which the union says represents about 9,000 employees, told the board it was "on the eve of negotiating" and urged members to put more money on the table. "We need more money on the table," she said, adding that many staff "qualify for food stamps" and work second or third jobs to make ends meet. Yocom asked the board to "lean into" its budget authority, press the state legislative delegation for different funding formulas and support a local millage referendum in 2026.
Other commenters described personal financial strain. Teacher Becky McLaughlin said her husband was recently hospitalized and that, without a significant raise, she might be forced to leave the classroom to support her family. "If my husband can't go back to work, the harsh reality is that we could lose our home because I can't afford it on a teacher salary," she told the board.
Community member Victor Chandler raised concerns about salary-schedule mechanics and cautioned against using step increases for unrelated groups, referencing state statute language. Bernard Wells, speaking about special-education services and district staffing, said he had previously filed a systemic state complaint and raised continuing problems with students missing services.
Board members acknowledged receipt of thousands of emails sent by teachers and staff about compensation and repeated that they hear those concerns. Several members said they personally review constituent emails and called teacher recruitment and retention a priority.
No board action was taken during the public-comment period. The superintendent and board members said staff could be commissioned to follow up on issues that require further investigation.
