Clay County teachers protest the lack of pay raises for hundreds of teachers. | News4Jax
Published on November 20, 2025 at 1:01 pm
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The Clay County School Board held an impasse hearing with the Clay County Education Association on Wednesday afternoon to decide teacher raises for next year.
The board ultimately accepted a proposal that would give teachers with 10 years or more experience raises ranging from $400 to $800.
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Vicki Kidwell, president of the Clay County Education Association, said about 1,200 teachers — roughly 45% — won’t receive a raise under this proposal. She believes there was a way to give every teacher a raise.
“It’s very hard for us as teachers to not feel defeated,” Kidwell said.
During the hearing, teachers held signs in protest. Kidwell explained that the association reviewed the budget to find funds to raise every teacher’s pay.
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“$2.5 million is spread across all of their instructional employees, plus the state money would have given a raise to every teacher between $700 and $1,500. That’s not a lot. The School Board themselves got a $1,400 raise,” Kidwell said.
Promises to teachers
Board members like Robert Alvero from District 2 cited budget cuts from Tallahassee as the reason not all teachers could receive raises.
“I ask you please trust that we will keep working, looking for ways to cut the necessary spending. We will be creative and persistent to bring more resources to our schools,” Alvero said.
District 3 board member Beth Clark shared that while residents of Clay County don’t want high taxes, they do want the best for teachers. She acknowledged the pain of not being able to raise pay for all teachers.
“It pains me that we cannot give a raise to everyone that works for the district. You don’t know how much that pains me. But unfortunately, as in business, many of us go many years without an increase, and yet the cost of living continues to go up,” Clark said.
Kidwell expressed concern that without better pay, Clay County risks losing its A ranking as teachers leave.
“I think we’re an A district because of our teachers, so how many teachers are going to leave before we aren’t an A anymore? You get the old teachers go out there like, forget it, I’m going somewhere else, new teachers come in, can you maintain that A? I think the community needs to be very concerned about that,” Kidwell said.
The Clay County Education Association is scheduled to vote on the contract changes Dec. 3. If they reject the contract, the decision will return to the School Board.
The board will make the final decision — including how to distribute state funds — on Dec. 11.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
