BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Beginning teacher pay has reached a new high in Bradford County schools.
While still short of the state’s goal of $47,500 minimum pay for teachers, Bradford is moving closer, with the school board voting Sept. 11 to raise beginning pay to from $41,265 to $44,000.
The agreement with the Bradford Education Association also states that all instructional staff earning at or above $43,000 a year will also have a maximum of $1,000 added to their base pay in addition to the increase to $44,000. Those at or above level 13 on the performance pay schedule will receive a one-time bonus of $1,000. This will ensure everyone receives at least $2,000 more for the 2023-24 school year and allows for differentiation in pay.
Advanced degrees also add to instructional salaries, as do supplements for taking on additional roles. Lead teachers in electives at the middle and high schools will also receive a $500 supplement as will those in the STEM club.
Pay for teachers evaluated as highly effective is $100 more, and effective evaluations are $75,
While a minimum of $47,500 is the current state goal, News4Jax reported that West Palm Beach Rep. Tae Edmonds is proposing a $65,000 minimum under the Save Our Teachers Act, saying the state found an additional $2 billion available to fund it.
These increases in base pay for beginners are complicated by the need to also raise the salaries of existing employees above the minimum.
Educational support employees will also receive more. Those who received less than $1 more an hour last year will see the total increase to $1 an hour this year. Those who didn’t receive an increase last year will receive the full $1 an hour raise. Those who received more than $1 last year will not receive a raise this year.
The pay raises are retroactive to July 1.
A new administrative salary schedule was also approved Sept. 11. The base salary for an administrator without a master’s degree is $43,309 versus $63,973 with a master’s degree (or CPA or bachelor’s degree with 10 or more years of industry-related experience). An expert in the field is someone without a degree but with 10 or more years of experience in a field such as transportation or food service. The base salary is $54,641.
Base pay for an administrator with a specialist degree is $65,722, and a doctorate degree is $67,748.
Indexes for experience and responsibility also factor into an administrator’s salary.
Performance pay for highly effective principals and assistance principals is an additional $200, and effective evaluations are $100. These are contingent on available funding.
In other business:
This was the final meeting for Chief Financial Officer Brandon Esposito. His replacement is Deborah Parrish. Other administrative appointments include Michael Warren as IT director and Sabrina Howland as mental health coordinator.
