Orange County School Board announces approval of contract with educational support professionals

The collectively bargained agreement with the Orange Education Support Professionals Association sees minimum 9% pay per hour increase

By Sam Albuquerque
| 7:29 p.m. November 10, 2023

Orange County Public Schools Transportation Services still needs about 100 drivers to cover absences, long-term leave, workers’ compensation and vacancies

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The Orange County School Board announced the approval of the collectively bargained Orange Education Support Professionals Association (OESPA) contract for the 2023-24 school year on Nov. 9 after its regularly scheduled board meeting at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center.

According to a press release sent to the media from Orange County Public Schools, the new agreement includes wage increases, health insurance plan design and premium changes and contract language changes.

The wage increases will increase the minimum hourly rate for all education support employees to $15.40 per hour — the agreement will result in all active education support personnel, who qualify will receive a minimum 9% per hour increase.

There will also be an increase in the retention bonus for 2023-24 and an extension of the retention bonus through 2024-25.

The full agreements which can be viewed here.

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Sam Albuquerque

A native of João Pessoa, Brazil, Sam Albuquerque moved in 1997 to Central Florida as a kid. After earning a communications degree in 2016 from the University of Central Florida, he started his career covering sports as a producer for a local radio station, ESPN 580 Orlando. He went on to earn a master’s degree in editorial journalism from Northwestern University, before moving to South Carolina to cover local sports for the USA Today Network’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his lovely wife, Sarah, newborn son, Noah, and dog named Skulí.