Hernando Schools, Teachers Union Reach Tentative Pay Agreement After Months of Bargaining

After months of bargaining and public attention, the Hernando County School District and the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association broke through a prolonged impasse at a March 3 session in Brooksville, reaching five agreements that include immediate pay increases and a financial foundation for next year's negotiations.

The package includes a $470 base salary increase for teachers, funded by the state's Teacher Salary Increase Allocation, and a one-time $1,000 bonus for all instructional staff. Teachers rated Effective will receive a $50 performance pay increase; those rated Highly Effective will receive $100. Under Florida Statute 1012.22, the district is required to tie salary increases to evaluation ratings, a mandate that has shaped HCTA contract language across multiple bargaining cycles.

Two memoranda of understanding rounded out the March 3 agreements. One designates roughly $809,000 in a budget line for instructional staff raises, which will be combined with state allocation money as a starting point for 2026-27 negotiations. The other protects 15.5 hours during preschool week for instructional staff to complete work-related tasks at their own discretion, a provision that addresses longstanding concerns about planning time.

A district spokesman confirmed the next bargaining session is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. April 20 in the school board room and will be streamed live and recorded on YouTube. Lisa Masserio, president of the teachers' association, had not responded to a request for comment as of the time of reporting.

The March 3 session was also recorded and is available to view on YouTube. The agreements reached there have not yet been formally ratified by the School Board; that step will follow in a future board action, consistent with the process used in prior cycles. In October 2022, the board voted to ratify a separate round of HCTA contract changes that included raising the minimum base salary to $49,000 and providing a $1,500 increase for teachers hired on or after August 3, 2022.

The broader labor climate in Hernando schools has seen notable movement recently. In November 2024, support staff represented by the Hernando United School Workers ratified their 2024-25 contract with 97% approval, with raises and retroactive pay processed before the end of the year. Hernando County voters also renewed two local school funding referendums that cycle, which HUSW credited with keeping support staff wages competitive with neighboring districts.

With $809,000 already designated and the state allocation in play, the April 20 session will set the tone for where Hernando teacher pay heads in the 2026-27 school year.