Following months of negotiations and recent rallying cries from retired educators, Polk County Public Schools and the local teachers’ union announced Thursday they were on the verge of a “historic” salary agreement.
The agreement includes a $25 million pay package — the largest single salary increase in PCPS history. However, it’s not finalized yet.
The next step in the process will be a vote by the Polk Education Association bargaining units to ratify the agreement. It will then go before the school board for final consideration and approval. A date for the vote has not yet been set.
In their joint statement Thursday, the school board and teachers’ union emphasized their intentions to continue working together to secure higher pay for the county’s educators.
“This milestone reflects the collaborative efforts of both PCPS and PEA, demonstrating our shared commitment to valuing and supporting our employees,” the statement read. “While negotiations can be complex, our unified goal remains clear: to ensure that our educators and staff receive the best possible compensation within our available resources.”
The negotiations began in June 2024 as a response to growing issues identified by the Polk Educators Association. According to the teachers’ union, many educators had started leaving the county for higher-paying jobs in nearby counties, leaving schools with hundreds of vacancies and a heavy reliance on substitute teachers.
The tentative salary agreement will provide raises of $1,200 to $3,900 per teacher with one or more years of experience, the union reported on its website. Support staff with one of more years of experience would also see pay increases of $500 to $2,400.
In addition, the school district agreed to give teachers 30-minute lunch breaks starting in the 2026-2027 school year, and 330 more minutes of planning time.
While the pay package appears to be a step forward, school board and union members said in their joint statement they plan to explore more long-term funding solutions in the future. Union president Stephanie Yocum said earlier this week she supports a millage referendum being put on the ballot.
“We recognize that no salary increase can fully capture the invaluable contributions you make each day,” the statement read. “However, both PCPS and PEA remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for and investing in our employees year after year.”