Santa Rosa teachers to receive raises

MILTON — The Santa Rosa County School Board unanimously voted to accept Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick’s recommended pay increase, ending a nearly year-long contract dispute between the Santa Rosa School District and the teachers’ union, the Santa Rosa Professional Educators.

The board made the decision at the end of a hearing at Benny Russell Elementary School cafeteria with a full house of educators and supporters mostly wearing red SRPE shirts. Thursday’s hearing took place the same night as many schools’ open house events.

Adopting Wyrosdick’s proposal means an average raise of 1.65 percent for most teachers, 2.2 percent for those rated highly effective. The raises will be back dated to July 1 costing roughly $2.1 million.

SRPE wanted an average 2.68 percent raise back dated to July 1, 2016, costing roughly $3.3 million.

The two parties started negotiations on September 26, 2016 and had eight sessions before the board declared an impasse Feb. 10. An impasse proceeding followed, May 11, under Special Magistrate Robert Hoffman.

Hoffman found in favor of the SRPE saying the union’s salary proposal was fair and reasonable.

The Board rejected Hoffman’s decision and so, according to Florida statute 447.403, the school district and the SRPE each presented their cases to the Board to ultimately make the decision.

During Thursday’s hearing, each party received 30 minutes to speak. Attorney John Dickinson represented the District and Attorney Matthew Hargraves represented SRPE.

Hoffman based his decision on misleading and inaccurate information according to the attorney for the district, John Dickinson.

For example, the union cited a $3.6 million difference for fiscal year 2015-2016 between budgeted instruction-related expenditures and actual expenditures which could be used to fund the wage proposal Dickinson said. Over $2.1 million was for state-restricted projects and $850,000 for other committed projects, he said.

Dickinson also accused the SRPE of trying to fund its raises, a recurring expense, using non-recurring revenue.

Before Hargraves, roughly five people spoke supporting SRPE.

“A lack of support will mean a loss of teachers to adjoining counties,” said Jack Sanborn, a local business owner with teachers in his family.

Avalon Middle School teacher Latricia Laurant came to Santa Rosa County with her family homeless following Hurricane Katrina.

“I was embraced with loving kindness by people who were nameless to me,” she said. “We weren’t an A county but through collective effort we are now… Over the past few weeks since the rejection of the magistrate’s recommendation became public, I have had the opportunity to talk with District employees who have expressed immense frustration over the fact that our hard work appeared to be shunned. Feelings of disenfranchisement have begun to consume many.”

While wanting to stay in Santa Rosa County, Laurant said she often receives recruitment calls. “In addition to Escambia County I receive frequent recruitment contact from Louisiana and Texas, each of which pay more. Considering the shortage of teachers, I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one being recruited from this A-school district. Surely our county’s high turnover rate is indicative that something is seriously wrong here.”

“The public can have confidence this board and this superintendent has and will always reward employees with all they can,” Wyrosdick said in a statement he released after the hearing. “I love and care deeply for our employees. I have family and friends who serve in our schools. It remains disingenuous to believe I do not want better pay and benefits for our employees.”

In closing, Wyrosdick appealed to the taxpayers.

“This year’s negotiation process has been difficult and has been a distraction from our purpose of educating students. The public needs to know I chose to be good stewards of their tax dollars, provide appropriate raises for our employees, maintain appropriate fiscal stability and provide a high quality education for our students. All are important.”

“There was no support from any board member. That was most surprising.” a new Avalon Middle School teacher Michael Little, going into his first year said, following the hearing.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” Laurant said. “Tonight was a catalyst to vote.”

The teachers do still have the option to reject the new contract but this would mean being forced to stay with the previous one.

“(The District) forced teachers to ratify the contract,” Laurant said.