Teachers announce counteroffer for Lee County School District

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
The School District of Lee County. (CREDIT: WINK News)

Negotiations between teachers and the Lee County School District continue amidst the current teacher shortage.

Lee County teachers told WINK News the district’s offer of $32.8 million (an 8% pay raise across the board) was not good enough.

“It’s up to those at the bargaining table tonight to bring us an offer that is worth serious consideration. They’ve said they’ve heeded our call but those are words. Tonight will put those words into action,” said Jake Nordbye.

The Lee County School District has not commented to the media. They have said it’s not appropriate while negotiations remain ongoing.

The bargaining session started at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Lee County Schools opened with specifics on its contract offer. Its chief negotiator said he heard the worry about veteran teachers not making enough.

Instead, Lee County Schools offered its teachers a multi-layered deal. One that has a base salary, incentives for being a highly effective teacher and bumps in pay for longevity. Teachers with zero to three years in the district would earn $50,000 — those with 20 years of service: $63,000.

The teacher’s union counteroffered to raise the starting salary to $50,000, then steadily increase pay for teachers from 6 – 12%. That means a veteran teacher of 20 years would get a raise of $7,400.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.