Tomorrow marks the big day for educators in Okaloosa County.

The Okaloosa County School Board will vote whether or not teachers will receive the step increase agreed upon about three years ago during contract negotiations.

This particular vote is especially interesting because it will mark the second time the board has voted on this issue. It first voted against giving teachers the step increase back in September when board members approved the 2012-2013 budget, which did not include funding for the step in it.

Now board members are voting on the issue again, although this time the law requires that they act as a “neutral” party. Under the statutes guiding the impasse process, the school board will make a binding decision after hearing from both sides.

From the start, the district has said it doesn’t have the money to fund the step and the union has maintained that the district has the money for the step and that they are contractually obligated to pay it.

A special magistrate brought in about midway through the process recommended that the district give teachers the step increase beginning in 2012, but both parties rejected that suggestion.

I don’t envy the decision the board has to make tomorrow. People are likely going to cry foul either way, and being an election year for two board members and the superintendent, I bet the ramifications are felt again this fall, for better or worse.

Here’s links to all my prior stories on it, if you need to catch up:

• District declares impasse over teacher pay »
• Union questions district spending »
• Magistrate recommends step increase after Jan. 1 »
• District rejects step recommendation »
• Okaloosa teachers union maintains school owes teachers step increases »

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