Tina Descovich has been tapped to lead the School Board of Brevard County as the panel welcomes two new members and faces another round of tough negotiations over teacher salaries.
Descovich was elected to the board in 2016 and represents District 3, which includes the beachside communities south of Pineda Causeway as well as a large swath of the mainland from Eau Gallie Causeway south to the county line.
She and other board members have pledged to make teacher raises a priority.
“We are in the middle of negotiations now so it is not appropriate to comment about the details,” Descovich said. “The entire board is committed to giving the best raise we can to our teachers. We are continuing to look at all our options.”
Board member Matt Susin, when asked in an email what his priorities were for the next year, replied: “Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises, Raises.”
The Brevard Federation of Teachers has asked for an annual raise of $3,593 for highly effective teachers, the top pay grade. BFT president Anthony Colucci said that number is based on raises for Orange County teachers over the past two years.
“The district has the moral and statutory obligation to offer us raises in line with comparable districts,” BFT president Anthony Colucci said.
As of Saturday, the district had offered $575.
Since negotiations between the union and the district aren’t binding, the School Board can in the end impose whatever salary they choose. Teachers in Florida are also prohibited by law from striking.
Colucci described the negotiations thus far this year as “extremely slow-moving and frustrating.”
The refrain is familiar. Last year, the union and the district didn’t come to an agreement until late January, after months of negotiations. Highly effective teachers received a pay increase of $875. “This year we have agreed to take all available funds and give them towards teacher and staff raises,” Susin said. “It is well deserved. The reason it is taking time is because we are literally turning over every stone to find any available funds. This year took extra long because of the turnover and elections of the board. They wanted to give the new board members an opportunity to make the decisions.”
Two new members were elected to the board this year. Katye Campbell took the District 5 seat formerly held by Andy Ziegler, who was defeated in the primary. Cheryl McDougall took the District 2 seat held by John Craig, who was also the former board chair. Craig did not run for re-election.
Descovich said it’s one of her goals to offer teachers a “competitive salary.” Her other top priorities for the next year are to increase employee morale, expand communications between the school board and public and to increase school security.
