OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. -- They helped their school go from a "C" to an "A," but instead of a bonus they got laid off. Fifteen teachers in Osceola County are now fighting to get the bonus they say they earned, but probably won't receive.

"I was a member of that team, therefore I feel entitled to that $1,200 bonus," said former teacher Tandy Braid.

Braid is speaking out for 15 former teachers and faculty at Bellalago Academy near Poinciana. All are being denied their share of a $112,000 bonus given to the school. They helped bring the school up to an A-grade last year, but then came budget cuts and layoffs.

"Me and my colleagues feel disrespected. We feel this is unfair. You know, we trusted our colleagues," Braid said.

Many of the teachers involved in the dispute didn't want to talk on camera. They are still looking for jobs and don't want to be seen as troublemakers, but they feel like they were left behind by their colleagues who they think added insult to injury.

"They said, 'Oh, we feel so bad for you. If there is anything we can do let us know.' Here's the opportunity for them to do something," Braid said.

Florida law requires merit award bonus money be given to staff or spent on equipment or temporary personnel. Beyond that, school staff gets to decide how to spend the money. In this case, 75 percent of teachers voted to put more money in their own pockets and none in the pockets of laid off employees.

Braid plans to take her argument to the school's advisory board before they have to sign off on the disbursement next Monday.

"I would tell them, 'Walk a mile in our shoes. Put yourself in our situation and you yourself would be on camera speaking about this issue, because it is totally unfair,'" Braid said.

The school's principal did not participate in the voting, but said teachers used a democratic system to cast anonymous ballots. She said teachers had five options on how to spend the money and decided to use it to reward staff members who returned after last school year.