PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It's a fight Portsmouth educators said was worth every penny.
After approval from the Portsmouth School Board last week over a new operating budget, a 4% raise for the school system's staff and educators is now on the table of City Council.
“In this area it’s very competitive between divisions trying to attract and retain employees," explained Theodore Faulk, the chief financial officer for Portsmouth Public Schools.
If approved by City Council, Portsmouth would become the region's latest school system to receive pay increases. Several weeks ago, Virginia Beach Schools saw a 5% raise for its staff as well.
"In Portsmouth, we’ve had those struggles in many cases because we haven’t been funded the way our other counterparts in this area have been funded by their localities," he said.
Faulk said the city wouldn't be footing the entire bill for the teacher raises, but they still needed to chip in.
"The state provides money for a portion of the raise, but the rest has to come from local dollars. The more local dollars you have, the more opportunity there is for a raise," Faulk said.
“It’s a lot of competition in this area for the teachers, and we already have a shortage of those entering the profession. More are leaving than entering, so we’re trying to put together a comprehensive salary and benefit package," he explained.
According to Faulk, the total cost for the raises will be roughly $5.5 million, and a majority of that - about $3.3 million - would come from funding through the Virginia General Assembly, meaning the remaining gap of $2.3 million would be picked up in Portsmouth.
“It means Portsmouth Public Schools and its leaders listens to its educators," said Gordon Jones, the president of the Portsmouth Education Association.
Jones, a longtime educator and native of Portsmouth, told 13News Now the proposed raise is more than what the organization had originally advocated for.
"We asked for 3%, so this 4% is going above and beyond," Jones said.
What does this mean for Portsmouth teachers?
According to PPS, the starting salary for a first-year teacher in the district is $46,745.55, meaning a 4% raise in this instance would come in just shy of a $2,000 dollar increase ($1,870, to be precise).
“Let’s be clear: 4% is still not enough given the burden of the tolls on the tunnel," said Cardell Patillo, chairman of the Portsmouth School Board.
The board passed the measure unanimously, and on Tuesday, were hopeful to get the final clearance from the city.
“We’re optimistic that the raise is definitely going to happen this year and we’ll pull through," Patillo said.
If approved, teachers could see these raises by the next fiscal year.