It’s a win for Santa Rosa County District Schools teachers, who will receive a 2% recurring salary increase for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, following an impasse. District 4 School Board Member Charles Elliott made the motion, seconded by District 2 Board Member Elizabeth Hewey. District 1 Board Member Linda Sanborn was the deciding vote for it.
“It was the right thing to do,” Elliott told South Santa Rosa News.
District 5 Member Scott Peden opposed it along with District 4 Member Carol Boston.
The agreement is as follows:
- The 1.1707% one-time nonrecurring bonus originally offered by the School Board has been changed to a 1.1707% recurring salary increase that counts toward retirement. So, all teachers will receive a total 2.00% recurring salary increase for the 2025-26 school year.
Here is a breakdown:
- Instructional staff employees that received the 0.8293% TSIA increase earlier this school year will receive an additional 1.1707% recurring salary increase. (0.8293% + 1.1707% = 2.00%)
- Instructional staff that did not receive the TSIA salary increase will receive a 2.00% recurring salary increase.
“The 2.00% overall salary increase is not a big pay raise but yesterday was a big victory for Santa Rosa County instructional staff. Thank you to SRPE members and fellow educators that were in attendance and contacted the Superintendent and School Board members. Our collective voices were heard,” stated SRPE President David Godwin.
Per Godwin, information regarding ratification and retro pay will be forthcoming.
SRPE’s Negotiating Team members are Susan Crawford, Tamela Strickland, Stephanie Rimes, Lawrence Copenhaver and Godwin.
“While I made our presentation to the board, the preparation and input for the presentation was a team effort,” said Godwin.
