PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — The Palm Beach County School District has rejected a mediator’s 3.5% pay raise proposal, sending the monthslong salary dispute to the School Board for a final decision.
The proposal by the Special Magistrate was intended to resolve a monthslong deadlock between the district and the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association. The union has consistently advocated for a 5% salary increase, while the district’s most recent offer sat at a 1.5% raise coupled with a 1.5% one-time bonus.
District officials formally turned down the 3.5% compromise this week, stating that the increase is not financially sustainable. In previous statements, district spokesperson Sean Cooley pointed to a $40 million budget shortfall and a decline in enrollment of roughly 6,000 students as primary reasons for fiscal restraint…