Senate Bill 538, signed at Jacksonville’s Ribault High School, creates two new routes for Florida coaches and extracurricular administrators to earn more, taking effect July 1.
The law lets coaches ask superintendents for pay above union-negotiated supplements by moving into an administrative-type role, and it allows booster clubs to raise money for added compensation.
Current supplements vary widely across Florida, with some counties paying coaches as little as $3,000 and others up to $8,000.
Jacksonville-area parents called the change overdue, saying coaches serve as mentors and authority figures well beyond sports, though some said the increase is still only a start.
The measure followed years of reporting on low coaching pay in Florida and could widen pressure to boost compensation for other extracurricular roles such as arts and band.
With coaches now eligible for higher pay, are arts and band teachers being left behind in Florida's schools?
As booster clubs begin funding coach salaries, will Florida's high school sports see a new era of 'haves and have-nots'?
Could Florida's new transfer rules unintentionally trap student-athletes in schools that don't meet their athletic needs?