After a year long battle, the Orange County Public Schools and Orange County Teacher Association reached a tentative agreement for one of the highest teacher pay increases in a decade.

The total pay increase for the district’s more than 14,000 teachers will amount to about $55 million.

Even with that distinction, some teachers say the agreement falls short.

“Inflation is here — is it enough? It’s certainly not,” said Ladara Royal, an educator at Lake Buena Vista High School and part of the union’s bargaining team. “We’re not going to pretend that it is. With the restraints that we have, we did get the most dollars that we can receive.”

The base pay increase would be $900, with the rest of the pay increase dependent on teachers receiving a score of “highly effective.” If they do, then they will receive an additional $2,425 for a total of $3,325.

If a teacher receives a grade of "effective," then they will receive an additional increase of $1,800, equaling a total increase of $2,700.

“It’s a merit pay system,” union president Wendy Doromal said. “There are 20 laws regulating teacher pay in Florida, so it’s not easy going to the bargaining table.”

Doromal said they were able negotiate a pay increase higher than the $25 a year cost-of-living increase the district offered, thanks to the help of a American Federation of Teachers budget expert.

The consultant looked at the district’s budget to find out how much money the district could spend on its teachers.

“We got every single penny we could for teachers,” Doromal said.

In order for the pay increase to take effect next school year, the majority of the teachers union members will need to vote in favor of approving it.

The union members have until July 18 to vote on the tentative agreement according to Doromal.