WINTER PARK, Fla. — In just a few weeks when the school year ends, and so will the annual contract for Lake Howell High English teacher Bobby Agagnina.

What You Need To Know

  • Seminole Public Schools waiting until end of May to notify teachers

  • District says it's concerned about state funding changes

  • Brevard, Orange, Volusia already notifying teachers

“I couldn’t imagine working at another place," the English teacher of 10 years said. "I love Lake Howell.”

Right now, he doesn't know if he will be back in the fall. Not because of COVID-19, but because the district hasn’t told him yet, and won’t until the end of the month.

“The district is going to wait until the end of the month to inform us if we have our jobs back," Agagnina said.

Unlike other districts, Seminole County Public Schools does not have an official renewal date for their teachers written into their annual contracts. Seminole Education Association Union President Dan Smith says this has never been an issue, but the impacts of the pandemic have shown him there’s a need to change that.

“Principals know how many positions they are allocated, usually in March," SEA Union President Dan Smith said. "I don’t think it is fair for our teachers to work until the last moment to find out if they have a position next year or not.”

When it comes to neighboring districts and their dates, Brevard, Orange, and Volusia have already begun informing their teachers.

Three other school districts have upcoming deadlines to inform their teachers:

  • Osceola County: May 11
  • Lake County: May 14
  • Sumter County: June 1

According to SCPS, they are waiting until the end of the month because of any potential changing of legislative education funding for next year. The district wants to make sure that staffing for the 2020-2021 will be properly funded.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has until July 1 to sign the state budget, which was crafted pre-pandemic.

As job postings for school districts now start to pop up, and interviews start to take place, Seminole County teachers are on standby.

Several teachers in the district still have many personal belongings in their classrooms. The district says school principals will be communicating with their teachers and seting a protocol that meets all of the proper and safe entries to their campus so teachers can clean out their rooms at the end of the school year.