TAMPA, Fla. — Only two counties have ratified contracts with teachers in the Tampa Bay area, while the others are at different stages of negotiations. 

What You Need To Know

  • Hernando and Manatee County have ratified contracts with teachers

  • Pasco, Polk, Pinellas and Hillsborough County are still at the bargaining table 

  • The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA) says it has reached a tentative agreement

  • Hillsborough hourly employees not seeing movement in two key areas

Hernando County and Manatee County have come to an agreement with teachers, and Citrus County will ratify its contract later this month.

Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties remain at the bargaining table.

In a statement, the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA) says it has reached a tentative agreement with the school district, and will meet again with the school board to finalize specific language in the agreement.

If the tentative agreement holds, all HCTA employees would see a pay raise.

For employees on a salary schedule, they will see a pay bump of 6%, which includes a total of $8.3 million in annual pay increases.

For those employees not receiving a raise this year, they will advance one step on their respective salary schedule.

The HCTA says it plans to continue its work on issues affecting hourly employees.

The union says the district will not change its policy on equalized pay, where the district averages an employee’s take home pay and splits it up equally so employees are still getting a check after long holidays like winter break.

The HCTA also says it will keep fighting for hourly employees coaching athletics.

The district currently bans hourly employees from being coaches, which takes away their ability to supplement their pay with an additional stipend.

Once the final language of the new contract is drafted, it will go to union members and the school board for a vote.