Palm Beach County leaders press for more state help as teacher bargaining stalls
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Summary
Superintendent Michael Burke said statewide teacher‑salary categorical funding provided only a small district share last year and bargaining with local unions is "not going that well." He and board members urged legislative help to boost teacher pay and protect the local referendum that supplements salaries.
Superintendent Michael Burke and board members told local legislators that teacher pay remains a central concern and that last year’s statewide salary categorical produced a small district share relative to need.
"A $100,000,000 sounds like a big number, but when you spread it across 67 districts, our share is $6,000,000," Burke said, noting that with roughly 13,000 teachers the district’s portion equated to roughly a 0.6 percent raise and that inflation exceeds the increase. He added: "It's not going that well" in current bargaining negotiations.
Board members described the local referendum supplements that add $1,000 at one year, $5,000 at five years and $10,000 at ten or more years of experience, and said the referendum adds about $8,000 to the district average teacher salary (bringing it to about $69,000). The board noted that the referendum funds 900 full‑time positions and that the question will return to voters in November 2026.
Delegation members said they would carry district concerns to Tallahassee, and the superintendent asked legislators to preserve performance‑bonus funding for AP/ACE/dual‑enrollment courses that can materially help student college access and district competitiveness. No formal actions or commitments were made at the meeting.