Update to the story: 

By a 78% majority, The Baltimore County Teachers Union voted to ratify the contract which takes effect July 1.

Original post: 

Baltimore County teachers this week are voting on a new contract.

Under the proposed deal, teachers would get a raise, but not as much as they had expected.

Teachers would see a 1% pay bump. Before COVID-19, teachers had been expecting a raise of more than 4%, including annual step increases, according to Cindy Sexton, president of TABCO, the Teachers Association of Baltimore County.

Step increases no longer are on the table.

Sexton said she is hearing from teachers who are disappointed, as well as others who understand how COVID-19 has wrecked the economy.

“We also did get language for no furloughs or layoffs for the coming school year,” Sexton said. “Fortunately we still have our jobs.”

Teachers are voting on the proposed three year contract through Thursday. If it is ratified, it will take effect July 1.

Tuesday night, the Baltimore County School Board unanimously approved a budget that includes the 1% pay increase.

Board member Lisa Mack voted for the budget but she was not happy about the small pay hike for teachers.

"To me the most important person in the school house is our teachers," Mack said. "We already have a retention problem."

The school board had to cut its budget because last month, the Baltimore County Council, reacting to reduced revenues due to the COVID-19 economy, slashed $20 million in education spending..

The school board also agreed to more than $4 million in administrative cuts to help pay for the 1% raise which is across the board, from teachers, to cafeteria workers, to bus drivers.