ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are proposing a bill to raise high school athletics coaches’ pay through private donations and booster club funds. The measure aims to increase coaching salaries without using taxpayer dollars.
High school coaches in Florida usually earn a few thousand dollars more each year on top of their teaching salaries. This proposal comes as the traditional dual-role teacher-coaching model becomes less common across the state.
Lawmakers argue the bill would prevent coaching pay from competing with other educational priorities funded through tax revenue. Concerns have also been raised about how the bill might affect competitive balance among different school districts.
The legislation would create a new option for school districts to accept private funding specifically for athletics staff. Currently, coaching supplements are limited, which lawmakers say makes it hard to keep consistent athletic programs across the state.
Districts would supervise these private contributions from booster groups and individual donors.
Some critics of the proposal argue that depending on private donations could allow wealthier communities to lure top coaching talent away from schools with fewer wealthy donors.
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