Support personnel working for the School District of Lee County will get a bump in pay and some enhanced benefits.
On Oct. 7, the school board approved the Support Personnel Association of Lee County collective bargaining agreement for fiscal years 2026, 2027 and 2028, with the bargaining unit then ratifying the agreement.
Highlights include:
– 20 days of parental leave: Available for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.
– Three days of bereavement leave: Granted for the loss of an immediate family member.
– Immediate terminal pay: Employees are now eligible for terminal pay immediately upon separation, removing the previous waiting period of several years.
– Salary increases addressing compression: Adjustments have been made to ensure pay equity across years of service and job classifications.
The compensation details include:
– SPALC employees will see their new rate of pay reflected on their Oct. 31 paycheck.
– A separate check for retroactive pay will also be issued for the period dating back to July 1 or the employee’s first contractual workday for the year.
The changes in compensation are effective as of the ratification by support staff employed by the district. The increase will be retroactively applied to the beginning of the contract year.
“All SPALC bargaining unit members shall receive a 3% cost-of-living adjustment. Additionally, 3% of the total available compensation funds shall be allocated for salary compression adjustments. These adjustments shall be used to progress SPALC employees towards 50% of the targeted salary rate based on verified years of experience. A maximum of 10 years of creditable and verifiable prior experience shall be recognized for new hires when determining placement on the salary schedule.”
The agreement also includes bereavement and parental leave benefits.
The bereavement leave will be “up to three days bereavement leave not out of personal/sick leave for family members, per incident.”
Parental leave is up to “four weeks, 20 consecutive workdays of paid leave for support staff for the birth of a child or placement of child for adoption.”
This leave is for employees who are actively employed for at least one year without a break in their service.
“The School Board of Lee County and SPALC leadership wish to thank all employees for their professionalism, patience, and commitment throughout the negotiation process,” both sides said in a “message of appreciation” issued on Oct. 9. “This agreement reflects our shared goal of valuing and investing in the people who make our schools operate every day. Together, we continue building a culture of respect, collaboration, and excellence in service to our students and community.”
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