Teachers in Hillsborough County are pushing for higher pay. 

  • Hillsborough County teachers push for pay raise
  • Teachers urged school board to honor pay scale
  • District says they don't have the money to give pay raises

About two thousand teachers showed up to a school board meeting Tuesday night, urging the district to honor their pay scale. The district however, said that plan wasn't apart of the actual contract and the district can't give the teachers the raise because they don't have it. 

"So without proper planning, without support from the legislature and without additional money from grants, the salary plan everyone hoped would be financially viable is not. We have been working mightily behind the scenes to try to at least make sure everyone receives an equitable raise over the three-year cycle," Hillsborough County School Superintendent Jeff Eakins said. 

"We've had stalled negotiations that after five months the district is simply said that no they will not honor our pay scale and no to every other thing that we have asked for," Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins said. 

The district said they plan to continue to work with educators on the issue.

The teacher's union said they're hoping they can come to an agreement soon.