11.06.2026. CTA Collective Bargaining Session #5, Part 1 of 2

The School District of Palm Beach County and CTA held Collective Bargaining Session #5, Part 1 on November 6, 2026. The parties discussed compensation and contract proposals, including CTA’s request for a 4% salary increase, paid parental leave, increased advanced-degree supplements, a new stipend for 504/SBT coordination, general supplement increases, and higher pay for teachers assigned an additional class period. The district cited budget pressures, declining enrollment, and planned 8% departmental cuts, and said it supports teacher raises in principle but had not agreed to the proposals. The discussion referenced an existing 2.187% increase already reflected in paychecks, with retroactive pay for teachers with 10 or more years of experience expected later. Estimated costs mentioned included about $2.6 million for paid maternity leave for CTA members (also discussed as roughly $3 million) and approximately $800,000 for the advanced-degree supplement proposal.

The parties also discussed making the spring elementary PDD day a duty day for all teachers beginning in 2028, extending the voluntary transfer period, and possible changes affecting teachers placed on the staffing “bench,” UAT exemptions, and the evidentiary standard in employee investigations. The district said it would caucus on selected proposals, including the transfer-period counterproposal; no votes or final agreements were reported. The recently passed school referendum was acknowledged as evidence of community support for public education. No procurement activity was identified.