CTA Public Records Request

OCPS values transparency and open communication with our employees, families, and community. Recently, the district has received a public records request from the Classroom Teachers Association (CTA) for information related to executive compensation and employee health benefits. In accordance with Florida’s public records law and our commitment to transparency, the district is releasing this information to all stakeholders.
 
In 2023, OCPS engaged an independent third-party firm to conduct a comprehensive study of cabinet-level compensation. This review was intended to provide an objective comparison of OCPS executive pay relative to similarly sized school districts and relevant market benchmarks.
 
Since that time, the district has taken deliberate steps to align resources with our priorities:

• The Cabinet has been reduced by 11 positions
• Senior management expenditures have been reduced by $4.1 million
• District-level budgets have been reduced by 5% over the past two years

At the same time, OCPS has prioritized investments directly supporting teachers, educational support staff, students and classrooms:

• Highly effective teachers have received average increases of 16% over the past three years.
• Additional special millage funding has supported approximately 2,000 teaching positions.
• The district has used the millage revenues since 2023 to increase teacher pay and strengthen classroom instruction.
• The district has invested more than $200 million into the Employee Benefits Trust since 2023 (approximately $8,500 per employee) to help offset rising healthcare costs and reduce the financial impact on employees and their families.

 
The compensation study demonstrates that, as one of the largest school districts in the country, OCPS executive compensation does not align with similarly sized systems or broader market benchmarks. Compensation across the organization is consistently lower than at similar organizations, including other public-school systems. While OCPS keeps administrative costs lower than any other large urban school district and ranks 12th lowest among Florida’s 67 districts, those savings also mean the district invests less in executive pay than many of its peers.
 
Maintaining strong leadership is essential to managing a district of this size and complexity. Ensuring compensation is competitive with peer districts and the broader market is an important consideration as the district works to recruit and retain experienced leaders while continuing to prioritize resources for classrooms.
 
OCPS remains focused on responsible stewardship of public funds, transparency in decision-making, and investing in what matters most - our students, educators, and schools.