Negotiations

Tentative Agreements

Once a year, HCTA opens the application window for our bargaining committee. This is the opportunity for members interested in helping to shape teacher working conditions to get actively involved! 

Members of the committee are selected based on their experience and knowledge of the HCTA contract, areas of assignment which are under-represented at the bargaining table, and willingness to commit to participation in training and attendance in regular bargaining sessions scheduled weeknights and through summer months.

This is YOUR chance to BE part of the work that makes a difference in every

In an abbreviated bargaining session, the parties reached agreement on increasing the Board match for health insurance for the 2024 calendar year. The District will provide an additional $53.06 each month, bringing the total monthly contribution to $735.10 for employee insurance. This improvement covers increases to the "Employee Only" premiums for all plans and will ensure that more of this year's negotiated salary improvements remain in our members' pockets!

The agreement will be brought to the unit for ratification in November.

With six (6) proposals exchanged over the course of a three and a half hour bargaining session, the HCTA and HCSD instructional salary negotiations culminated in a tentative agreement and a plan to move 2023-24 pay raises swiftly to ratification.

This year's agreement provides a $2,600 market adjustment for returning instructional staff who worked half a year plus one day in the 2022-23 school year. Pay for performance will add $100 for Highly Effective instructional staff and $50 for Effective instructional staff. New hires and those who worked less than half a year in the 2022-23 school year will receive a $500 bump and up to $500 more based on experience. The new starting teacher pay for Hernando Schools will be $49,500.

Instructional staff have already seen a portion of their compensation improved for the 2023-24 school year with the recalculation of referendum supplements paid through the additional millage approved by voters in 2020. Previously negotiated to assist with retention, this supplement is calculated annually based on experience in Hernando Schools. 

Beyond salary improvements, HCTA and HCSD have found agreement on additional duty supplements, funding positions to support early career educators, and compensation for splitting of classes. In total, the economic adjustments represents an investment of more than $5.859 million into the instructional bargaining unit.

Ratification voting will be held at worksites across the district on September 18th, with the School Board expected to ratify on September 19th. Details of time and location for voting will be announced by HCTA Worksite Leaders. All employees of the instructional unit are eligible to vote during contract ratification.

Union and District teams exchanged salary proposals, making limited progress toward a settlement for 2023-24 instructional raises.

HCTA opened the session with clarifying questions around recalculation of referendum supplements and the implementation of previously TA'd supplements in the contract. It was clarified that recalculation of the 23-24 referendum supplements is complete and that increased revenue generated by the referendum will result in increases for all experience bands. The total will be prorated across the remaining checks beginning with the 8/21/23 pay date.  These supplements, funded by the voter approved mil, have been bargained as retention supplements tied to years of experience in Hernando Schools.

The HCSD team countered HCTA's previous salary proposal with an offer which includes distribution of Teacher Salary Increase funds as pay for performance and a flat $950 market adjustment for returning teachers who earned a year of service credit in the 2022-23 school year. 

HCTA responded with a proposal seeking 4.5% market adjustment for all returning teachers, in addition to the TSIA funds distributed as pay for performance.

The District's final counter-offer of the evening improved the flat adjustment to $1,100 for all returning teachers. 

It was acknowledged that insurance increases were to be expected, though no speculation of how much was given. HCTA posited that salary improvements would only be meaningful to employees if rising insurance costs didn't consume most of it, and pressed for the District to consider the benefit of offering the market adjustment as a percentage rather than a flat amount.

The parties adjourned for the evening and have agreed to return to the table on August 31st@5pm. HCTA reminds members that bargaining sessions are open to observers and encourages their presence for these discussions. 

​HCTA and HCSD bargaining teams returned to the table to continue 2023-24 contract discussions on July 27th.

The HCSD team opened the session with a proposal for two supplemental positions funded by Title I to pay instructional staff at Title I schools to provide support for documenting compliance with Title I requirements and planning and supporting Title I family engagement events. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both parties.

The District team also shared two new job descriptions within the instructional unit. One was for an instructional position to serve as District

HCTA and HCSD bargaining teams returned to the table at the district office for what proved to be a very productive four-hour bargaining session resulting in six (6) tentative agreements. Several priority items for HCTA were addressed, including academic supplement improvements, a compensation plan for teachers receiving students when classes are split for sub coverage, and another three-year extension of the contract.

Recognizing that retention of alt cert educators and support for new teachers is a critical component of addressing staff shortages, the parties agreed to a one-year plan to fund two instructional mentor positions. HCTA and HCSD will review the overall progress of the initiative in the Spring to determine future funding for these two positions. Additionally, mentor teacher supplements will be improved from $175 per mentee each semester to $750 per mentee each semester. The parties will review Appendix H - Mentoring Guidelines to make any necessary revisions.

Finally, the District offered a proposal for the distribution of Teacher Salary Increase Allocation funds. As required by the state, the plan for distribution of these funds must be reported to the state by no later than October 1, 2023. HCTA is reviewing the proposal and will be prepared to respond at the next bargaining session scheduled for July 27th.

As a reminder, bargaining sessions are open to the public. The next session is scheduled for July 27th (1:00pm) @ the district school board office.

Union and District teams met at NCTHS for the first bargaining session of the summer break. Determined to move forward with the items presented by teachers through this year's bargaining survey, HCTA placed five more proposals on the table for consideration. These proposals address: splitting of classes, class size issues, extra class supplements, athletic flex supplements, and expansion of critical shortage supplements to include Tier III Reading and ESE Self-Contained.

The District presented the 2023-24 MOU for the teacher evaluation manual (EMART) and offered clarification of initiatives intended to support alt cert and new educators. In an effort to create a 'teacher pipeline', the District team outlined a new Associate Teacher program which would allow new hires with an associate degree to attain a bachelor degree and certification while working in what is described as a 'teacher apprenticeship'. 

The parties signed the 2023-24 EMART MOU, however the District was not prepared to respond to any of the new proposals HCTA presented and they declined to sign the extension of the contract without HCTA's agreement on funding for additional positions in HR to support certification and new educator requirements. HCTA's lead negotiators shared their frustration with the District's position noting that the contract extension delay had already delayed long overdue increases for Adult Ed which had been bargained in January. 

HCTA remains hopeful that the next bargaining sessions can be more productive. The parties will resume bargaining on June 19th (2pm) at the District Office.

1/11/23 Bargaining Session

HCTA and HCSD tentatively agreed to the following:

• An increase for the hourly rate for Adult Education Supplemental Pay for Additional Duties.  The last increase for this Additional Duty dates back to 2003.
• Fixed an error of omission that occurred in the last ratification of the Athletic Supplement table. MS Equity supplements now appear in the overall spreadsheet, and have been adjusted to the 5% increase (the omission DID NOT affect any pay for supplements this year, as the district is honoring the amount of the supplement as amended)

HCTA also brought forward a proposal regarding protected time during pre-school, seeking a limit to directed activities and prioritizing classroom planning and preparation for opening the school year.

Additional Duty Pay - Adult Ed

Athletic Supplements - MS Equity