HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Schools is the largest employer in the county. The Hillsborough County teacher's union represents 16,000 teachers.
The average salary? $54,000.
Hillsborough County is not alone in the state with low salaries for teachers. According to a new report released last week, Florida is ranked 50th in the country when it comes to teacher pay.
RELATED: Florida teacher pay drops to 50th in country, new data shows
According to state data, Pinellas County is slightly higher ($55,341), but teachers in Sarasota are getting paid about $12,000 more than any other county in the Tampa Bay area.
Parents in Hillsborough County are shocked to hear how low teacher pay is. Charlotte Aust moved from Canada to Tampa recently. She was a teacher in Canada and made over $100,000 a year.
RELATED: Exit interviews reveal the “brutal” truth behind why teachers are leaving Florida classrooms
The Hillsborough County Teacher Association started contract negotiations for the 2024-2025 school year on Monday, May 6. The Hillsborough County Teacher Association sent out a survey ahead of Monday's negotiations. More than 1,500 employees responded, and most responses said the cost of living and making a livable wage were their top concerns.
Rob Kriete is President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. He said the union is asking for a 6% pay raise for teachers and support staff.
"Our employees are struggling really to have a livable wage here in this district. Inflation in Florida and Hillsborough has been through the roof. We've asked for 6% across the board. We feel like it's going to be a negotiation. It's going to be tough to get that, but it's really not even enough for a lot of our teachers and support professionals to really be able to pay their bills, and pay rent and make ends meet," said Rob Kriete, President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teacher Association.
The Hillsborough County School District sent ABC Action News the following statement.
"As we begin Teacher Appreciation Week, we are grateful to be at the table negotiating with our employee groups. This is the earliest we have started bargaining in many years. Our employees are the heartbeat of our organization, and we are eager to negotiate their salaries for the 2024-2025 school year. The goal of the Superintendent and the School Board is to finalize negotiations before the start of the next school year."
The school district is expected to make a counteroffer at the next meeting. It has been scheduled for May 28 at 10 a.m.
When debris from a tractor struck their vehicle on I-75, Denise and Mike Brennan were told by a state contractor that "they will take care of it." Now, more than six months later, the Brennans are still $7000 out-of-pocket for repairs and rentals.