BROOKSVILLE, Fla.— The Hernando County Classroom Teachers Association is taking action on behalf of the teachers let go from the county's lowest performing elementary school.

  • All Moton Elementary teachers let go 
  • Teachers union has sent district grievance letters
  • Moton is one of Hernando County's lowest performing schools

Last week, the Hernando County School District announced Moton Elementary teachers would not be asked to return next year.

"It was extremely heartbreaking,” said Vince La Borante, HCTA president. “I mean I had teachers in tears. Extremely dedicated working with the students trying their best to turn the school around and feeling that they really were not given the chance."

For the past two years, Moton Elementary has received a "D" rating and has fallen on the state's list of lowest performing schools.

The school district said if they had not taken drastic action they would have run the risk of state intervention. But, La Borante said that wouldn't have been the case.

"When you look at the timeline they are only in year two, not year three of their turnaround plan,” he said. “Which basically means the school has another year to turn themselves around to give those teachers a chance to prove themselves."

La Borante said they received word of the district's decision just minutes before the teachers heard the news themselves.

Now, he said they have sent cease and desist and grievance letters to the district.

"Why now? Why not sooner? If the writing was on the wall, if the results at the school were not what you wanted them to be why did it take this long?" La Borante said.

"We would like to see that these teachers be basically reinstated. Let the third year of the plan work itself through," he added.

He also said they are concerned about the future of the students, saying new teachers could be in the same position if the school does not improve.

"As a teacher would anybody in their right mind take that gamble? To leave a secure position to then transfer over to a school that is in this situation knowing full well and good I might be fired next year," he said.

La Borante plans to address all of these issues at Tuesday's school board meeting, the first since this decision was made.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. La Borante is asking anyone who’s attending the meeting to wear purple and gold, which are Moton’s school colors.