VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County School District and the Teacher’s Union could not reach an agreement on teachers’ wages and benefits for the current school year.
The district declared an impasse at a meeting Wednesday night, which means the decision of what will happen next will now be turned over to a magistrate.
The union was asking for an 8 percent pay increase in teacher pay over the next two years. The school district offered a 2 percent raise for one year.
Spar said teachers have been fighting not just for pay raises but for cleaner classrooms and more respect.
“This is really a slap in the face of the hard-working people in the district,” said Teacher Union President Andrew Spar. “The district is at a 2 percent on average increase, which actually brings up beginning teacher pay by $1,500 but everyone else only $750.”
“They’re frustrated to the point where if striking was legal in the state of Florida, I believe our teachers would have gone on strike by now,” Spar said.