Decision not to give 45% of Clay County teachers pay raises sparks concerns of potential mass exodus

The Clay County School Board recently approved teacher salary increases for the 2025-2026 school year, but nearly half of the district’s teachers won’t receive a raise. However, the announcement is sparking bigger questions of why teacher pay varies so widely depending on the school district, as some educators make thousands of dollars more just by crossing county lines. The decision led Vicki Kidwell, president of the Clay County Education Association, to ask a question many teachers in Clay County are wondering: “Why can I go across the bridge and make $20,000 more?