Orange County teachers continue fight for higher pay

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Orange County teachers will be back at the bargaining table Thursday for pay negotiations. Teachers say they're going to continue to fight for what they're worth.

They voted down the last proposed contract in July, saying it did not account for the rising healthcare costs. Most recently, the district offered an additional $750 bonus, but did not include any changes to the proposed heath insurance hikes.

The district said it would give most teachers an average $1,250 of bonus pay in addition to a raise. But teachers argue that money would have essentially canceled out.

The average teacher in Orange County makes just over $49,000. The teachers union countered with a proposal that would give educators an average raise between $2,400 and $3,000.

School board members say they would like to pay teachers more money, but they are limited by the amount of state funding.

Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis wants to attract more teachers by paying them more. Now it's up to both sides to meet in the middle.