District, MEA reach settlement

The Manatee County Public School District and Manatee Education Association today announced they have reached a tenative settlement regarding raises for teachers and paraprofessionals for the 2013-14 school year.

Superintendent Rick Mills and Pat Barber, president of the MEA, the teachers union, praised the collaborative effort made by both negotiating teams to reach a settlement — the first one reached in four years.

"These settlements are about restoration for the financial sacrifices these valuable district team members have made over the last several years," Mills said. "It also meets the mandate of the governor and the state legislature to enhance teacher pay."

Settlement highlights for teachers include the restoration of three years of step movement to a salary schedule that was reduced by 1.75% and frozen in February 2012.

Highlights for paraprofessionals including saving 60 paraprofessional jobs and also providing a $381 raise for every paraprofessional.

MEA members will need to ratify the settlements, before the Manatee County School Board can vote to approve the settlements. 

To view the teacher settlement highlights document, click here. To view the paraprofessionals settlement highlights document, click here.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].