School District of Manatee County approves salary increase for district employees

Sarasota Herald-Tribune | By Samantha Gholar Weires | February 8, 2022

BRADENTON — Employees at the School District of Manatee County will receive an increase in wages later this month following approval by the district’s school board Tuesday morning.

The increase in compensation was approved for district teachers and paraprofessionals following negotiations over the past several months. Employees represented by the Manatee Education Association, as well as other non-instructional employees, will receive an increase in pay, according to the teacher’s union.

Once implemented, the base salary for instructional staff will increase to $47,500 annually. Teachers with master’s degrees will see an increase of $1,200 in their salaries, and a $1,000 retention bonus will be given to employees who did not receive the Florida Legislature’s initial retention bonus during the pandemic.

Noninstructional staff — custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, maintenance staff, and others represented by the American Federation for State, County and Municipal Employees — also will receive the $1,000 retention bonus. In addition, staff will see an increase in the uniform allowance and retroactive pay increases.

The district will distribute bonuses to eligible paraprofessionals, teachers, and instructional staff on Feb. 25, according to a news release from the union. 

The contract approval remains contingent on the Florida Legislature’s funding bill.