USEP Update 8/24/2022 – Referendum Special

It is an historic day for Pasco County Public Education. Almost five years ago, I started the conversation about a referendum in School Board meetings. Today, that vision has come to fruition. Due to the passing of the referendum last evening, Pasco County will now be able to negotiate competitive salaries for our employees and keep the high-quality educators we already have working here in Pasco. It is our goal to see that the multitude of vacancies in this District are filled with competent, qualified people being paid a fair, competitive, and rewarding salary.

USEP wants to thank the voters of Pasco for their support in this endeavor to recruit, retain and reward all our education professionals. This is the culmination of an awful lot of work by a lot of hard-working people. Thank you to all of YOU who voted in support of this initiative.

Many of you, our USEP members worked diligently having conversations to educate others on the referendum and how it will affect salaries. THANK YOU! Many of you joined with USEP and waived signs and had roadside conversations with drivers to push the information out. THANK YOU! Many of you spent some pretty warm hours outside polling places to greet and educate voters. THANK YOU! No matter how you helped, USEP wants to say a heart-felt THANKS to you for working toward this cause.

Thank you to LIFT UP PASCO! for your work and help. Thank you also to the School Board members who supported this initiative. Thank you, Superintendent Browning, for your support as well. Additionally, I am pleased to announce both of our endorsed School Board members, Cynthia Armstrong and Megan Harding, triumphed significantly over their opponents.

Again, USEP wants to say THANK YOU to ALL OF YOU who in any way helped move this issue forward. Now, on to the task of collecting the funds and negotiating salary increases and doing it in a way to provide transparent information to all those voters who heard of our concern and stepped up to make something positive happen.

This is indeed a momentous day for Pasco Public Education. Long-term, both our students and our employees are going to benefit from this victory.