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Hernando County superintendent and teachers' union spar over pay as district cites budget limits
Summary
At a bargaining session, district officials reviewed multi-year pay gains and proposed budgeting this year's TSIA growth allocation into next year's budget, while union leaders rejected a $700 bonus as insufficient and said an October ratification deadline undermines trust.
Hernando County's superintendent and bargaining team told teachers at a public negotiation session that limited recurring revenue and falling enrollment constrain what the district can commit to this year, while union leaders pressed for larger, recurring salary increases and said members overwhelmingly reject a one-time $700 bonus.
Superintendent Pender — introduced to the group by the facilitator — described the difference between recurring and nonrecurring revenue and warned that raises paid from one-time funds are not sustainable. "I'm not hiding money. If I had it, I would give it to you," he said, adding that a loss of students and state funding tied to Family Empowerment Scholarships has reduced recurring revenue.
Why it matters: Bargaining over teacher pay will affect classroom staffing and retention in Hernando County, which the district says has already raised salaries substantially in recent years and uses a mix of state TSIA…
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