Miami-Dade's incoming superintendent says the district's teachers are among the worst-paid in the country and wants voters to fix it.
Rafael Villalobos, selected unanimously by the school board on July 29, told NBC Miami in an Aug. 4 interview that Florida ranks 50th nationally in teacher salaries and called it "crucial" that voters approve a referendum to raise compensation. He also signaled more school consolidations ahead, describing the strategy as "right-sizing" a district that has already closed nine schools after enrollment fell 4% between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
For families at Aventura City of Excellence School, Don Soffer Aventura High and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High, the interview landed nine days before the first day of school on Aug. 13.
"Ari, no doubt, it's very difficult, I mean, what, we're 50th in the country in teacher salary?" Villalobos said in the sit-down at South Miami Senior High School, his alma mater.
That's dead last.
The ranking reflects statewide data from the National Education Association, which pegged Florida's average teacher salary at roughly $56,500 for 2024-25, just ahead of Mississippi. The Florida Department of Education reported the figure rose to nearly $58,000 for 2025-26.
Superintendent's Tone Shifts From Cautious to Direct Public Appeal
When the board selected him on July 29, Villalobos told WLRN he needed to review the budget before committing to a specific raise. In the Aug. 4 interview, he made an explicit public ask: pass the next referendum.
No ballot language, timeline or vote date for such a referendum has been announced. The school board is scheduled to meet Aug. 19 to discuss salary negotiations and the superintendent transition.
Villalobos Signals Additional School Closures on the Horizon
Villalobos framed further closures as a quality issue, not just a budget cut. State funding follows enrollment, so fewer students mean fewer dollars. Underenrolled schools, he said, cannot offer the same opportunities as those with robust populations.
"We have to start looking at how we're going to right-size the district, and we've started that process already, and I think we're well on our way, but it's not just about the consolidating, or the closures, but it's about extra resources and making it even better than it was before," he said.
As we reported Monday, the district already approved closing or consolidating nine schools after enrollment dropped by about 13,000 students between 2024-25 and 2025-26. None of the Aventura-area schools were on that list, but Villalobos's language suggests the process is not finished.
Villalobos's Record and What's Next for the District
Miami-Dade serves more than 330,000 students across the nation's third-largest school district. The system has earned seven consecutive "A" grades from the state and posted a record 93.1% graduation rate for 2024-25.
Villalobos, 54, began his career as a teacher at South Dade Senior High in 1994 and was named Principal of the Year in 2020 while leading John A. Ferguson Senior High in Kendall, where students hit a 99% graduation rate. He has served as South Region Superintendent since 2022, overseeing more than 100 schools and 80,000 students.
He formally takes over from outgoing Superintendent Jose Dotres, whose contract runs through Feb. 14, 2027.
The Aug. 19 board meeting is the next scheduled opportunity for public discussion of teacher pay and the leadership transition.
