Manatee County School Board Approves Pay Raises for Teachers & Paraprofessionals -Retroactive to July 1, 2020. Money to start appearing on February 26, 2021 Paycheck
The School Board of Manatee County has unanimously approved two contracts that will increase pay for teachers and paraprofessionals.
Board members approved the 2020-21 agreement during Yesterday’s meeting (1/12/21). The terms rely on continued funding by “annual Legislative action,” citing the bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last June, House Bill 641.
“The salary improvements for instructional staff and paraprofessionals will be retroactive to July 1, 2020, and are expected to begin with the paycheck on Friday, February 26, 2021,” the district said in a news release.
The agreement with the Manatee Education Association for teachers includes:
·Base salary increases to $46,429. This portion of the agreement uses money from the state’s Teacher Salary Allocation.
·Eligible teachers will receive a three-pay level increase.
·Longevity pay worth $2,100 for teachers who completed 16 years in Manatee County last year, or $3,600 for those who completed 25 years.
When adding the base salary to the $5,201 teacher supplement provided by Manatee’s one-mill tax referendum, the starting pay for instructors is $51,630 — one of the highest for new teachers in Florida, according to a news release.
The agreement for paraprofessionals includes:
·A one-step movement on the salary schedule for eligible paraprofessionals.
·2 percent increase to paraprofessionals at the top of the schedule.
·An increase of 10 cents per hour applied to each step of the salary schedule.