ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A year after receiving their biggest raise in eight years, teachers in St. Johns County are poised for another big pay bump.
The St. Johns County School District agreed last month to put an additional $4.8 million toward teacher salaries which will give some teachers a $2,000 bump in their yearly pay.
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The pay raise will be based on teacher evaluations from the previous school year.
Those teachers who were rated "Highly Effective," the highest rating possible, last year will receive a $2,051 raise and those rated "Effective" would receive $1,520. Those teachers who are "grandfathered" in will receive $1,519.
Associate teachers also got a base pay raise of $3,400, from $26,600 to $30,000.
"This raise will help to recruit and retain teachers," said Michelle Dillon, St. Johns Education Association President. "We were not being competitive, and we were losing good teachers to Clay, Flagler and Duval counties."
According to state data, teachers in St. Johns County, hailed as one of the best-performing school districts in the state, made an average of $47,347 for the 2018-19 school year. That was over $1,400 below the state average.
Clay teachers were paid an average of $44,343, Duval teachers made an average of $47,888 and Flagler teachers made an average of $51,583 for the 2018-19 school year, according to state data.
Dillon said the pay raise is especially important for teachers in St. Johns County where the cost of living is higher than in nearby counties.
"We were not keeping pace with neighboring counties," Dillon said. "We wanted a raise so teachers can afford to live here comfortably."
Last year, the teacher's union negotiated a pay raise that increased salaries up to $1,400.
The pay raise still has to be officially approved by teachers and then voted on by the school board before it goes into effect.