Hernando County superintendent and teachers' union spar over pay as district cites budget limits

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 dollars and local millage to boost starting pay and address salary compression.

District proposal and union response The district presented a proposal to budget this year's TSIA growth allocation (discussed during the session as roughly $809,000) as a one-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be included in next year's budget and paired with whatever growth allocation the state provides next year. The district framed the move as a way to show good faith while acknowledging it lacks a recurring revenue source large enough to sustain year-over-year raises right now.

HCTA President Lisa Massario pushed back, noting earlier shifts in offers across sessions and expressing distrust of a short ratification timeline tied to an October 1 deadline. "Ninety-four percent of members said they're not satisfied with $700 as a bonus," she said, arguing the union must return to members before accepting a small, nonrecurring supplement.

Budget context and accounting clarifications District finance staff and the school district's counsel described multi-year improvements to pay — including a higher starting salary and use of millage to address compression — and explained why budgeted salary lines can differ from year-end spending. Finance staff said some funds were carried forward and placed in host accounts for restricted programs (CTE, mental health, school recognition) and later reclassified into salary objects as positions were filled, which can make the adopted salary line appear smaller than actual spending.

Union concerns about state funding and deadlines Union negotiators warned that relying on TSIA (a state-level allocation) risks eroding raises if the state program is reduced or not renewed, and argued that tying local agreements to an October signature/ratification schedule shortens time available for member input. The district responded it is prepared to expedite bargaining in the summer and offered to fund substitute teachers for bargaining team members to permit intensive sessions.

Other proposals discussed The district also proposed converting two post-school days (and three preceding half-days) to paid non-duty days for teachers without shortening the contract; the union asked for clarifications on grade-book and AST procedures and confirmation that insurance coverage would continue through June.

What happens next Both sides agreed to continue negotiations and to reconvene for follow-up meetings and surveys. District staff committed to provide detailed audit and journal-entry documentation requested by the union to clarify carryforward and instructional materials spending. No formal ratification or final agreement was recorded at the session.

Attribution: Quotes and specifics in this report come from statements recorded during the bargaining session, including comments by Superintendent Pender and HCTA President Lisa Massario.