Leon Teachers Union Demand “People Over Property” as District Faces Critical Financial Decisions

In a passionate appeal during a recent school board meeting on Monday January 26, Scott Mazur, speaking on behalf of Leon classroom teachers and instructional staff, called for a radical shift in how the district manages its resources. Mazur urged officials to prioritize the district’s “human capital” over its physical property, arguing that the current pace of administrative decision-making is failing both students and staff.

Mazur’s appeal comes amid a steady decline in average teacher salaries in Leon County when compared to other school districts over the last 10 years. According to Florida Department of Education data, Leon County teacher salaries rank 49th out of 67 county school districts.

Mazur’s comments focused heavily on the district’s handling of facility consolidation. He argued that these deliberations are “already behind where we should be,” stating that the current debate should have taken place three years ago to be effective today. “A solution that is 2 years out, 3 years out is too late,” Mazur stated, describing current proposals as “half measures” that fail to move the district toward a “healthy situation” with the necessary urgency.

Mazur suggested a more “creative” approach: relocating staff from underutilized district owned buildings into empty classrooms within existing school sites to save on operational costs.

The core of Mazur’s frustration lay in what he described as a repetitive cycle of inaction. He expressed exhaustion over having the “same conversations” for the past three, five, and even eight years without seeing a concrete roadmap for improvement. “What is the plan to get Leon County Schools number one in student performance? What is the plan to get Leon County Schools number one in employee pay?” he said.

Mazur warned that focusing on external structures and bus replacements while ignoring the “cost of replacing the individuals in those classrooms” is a strategic failure. He emphasized that the district is losing “capital experience” as “highly qualified, highly exhausted” teachers leave due to a lack of resources. According to Maer, the quality of construction at school sites is irrelevant if the district cannot provide the people inside those buildings with the support they need to succeed. He concluded by reminding the board that “culture and climate” are essential factors in retaining staff, a topic he felt had been neglected in the day’s discussions.