More Central Texas school districts approve pay raises for teachers, staff
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several school districts in Central Texas are approving pay raises for their teachers and staff.
Georgetown ISD, Del Valle ISD and San Marcos CISD added themselves to that growing list. Last month, both Round Rock ISD and Pflugerville ISD approved pay raises, too.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pflugerville ISD approves salary raises, sets new minimum wage for employees
But, do these incentives really help retain people?
Hays CISD’s low turnover rate
Hays CISD said its pay raises have helped keep teachers and staff.
The district told KXAN its 2023 turnover rate was just 6.6%, while the state’s rate was 13.7%.
“The Hays CISD Board has taken a number of actions over the year to ensure we retain our valuable staff so they can focus on serving our students including offering competitive compensation, employee-friendly policies, and new this year, opportunities for more affordable housing through a partnership with the Texas Workforce Housing Foundation. “
Hays Consolidated Independent School District
Some of the district’s incentives included:
Cost of living adjustments from Fiscal Years 2020-2023 averaging 5.5%
Zero-cost employee health insurance option
San Marcos CISD increase
San Marcos CISD Chief of Communications Andrew Fernandez said Monday the district’s board of trustees approved a pay raise for up to 9% for teachers.
He said it depends on how long they’ve been with SMCISD.
“Everyone’s guaranteed that 3%. The longevity kicks in for any teachers who have been with the district for five years,” Fernandez said.
Along with that, the board approved zero-cost employee health insurance.
“We’re really excited that our school board has passed the raise, even though we’re facing tough times with budget deficits.”
Andrew Fernandez, San Marcos CISD Chief of Communications
Georgetown ISD increase
The Board of Trustees at Georgetown ISD approved a compensation plan for the 2024-2025 school year during Monday’s board meeting.
The plan included:
An increase in starting teacher salaries to $56,500 (up from $54,450)
A raise of 3.5% for teachers and librarians, equaling an increase of $2,100
Stipends for high-needs teachers in special education
A raise for all other staff equal to 2% of the midpoint of their salary scale
Increasing starting hourly rates to $16 for instructional aides and $15.50 for support staff
“Increasing compensation for our teachers and staff has been a priority of the board this spring,” Elizabeth McFarland, the GISD board president, said. “This compensation package maximizes the resources available to us and puts teachers in a more competitive position in our market.”
‘A critical point’
Georgetown ISD Superintendent Davin Padavil said these incentives help, but it’s becoming more difficult to find wiggle room in their budget to pay for them.
“We’re having to make decisions about reducing our expenditures or what we spend money on, in order to find more money to pay our staff.”
Dr. Davin Padavil, Georgetown ISD Superintendent
Padavil said they’ve had to make adjustments like increasing class sizes or considering closing a position after someone resigns or retires.
“That all carves out different portions of funds for us to use to compensate staff even more,” Padavil said. “But in public education, we’re hitting a point where districts are going to run out of ways to carve out more funds to pay staff. It is coming to a critical point.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Round Rock ISD approves 1% salary raise for employees, retention incentive plan
The district said the new plan will begin after July 1 at the start of each employee’s contract.
Del Valle ISD increase
The Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees also approved a 3% salary increase Monday for its teachers, staff and some administrators.
“The raises move the district’s starting teacher salary to $59,600 per year,” the district said in a press release. “The minimum hourly rate for all hourly staff is now $18 per hour, an increase of $2 per hour, with all hourly pay grades receiving an equity adjustment.”
Along with that, all staff will receive a one-time stipend of $1,000 for professional development.
“This investment in our teachers and staff not only ensures that we continue to attract and retain the best talent but also underscores our unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in our students’ lives,” Board President Shaira Ramzanali said.
‘Battle it out’
The Texas State Teachers Association said its seeing more districts create these incentives.
“We are seeing school districts sort of battle it out to keep quality educators.”
Ovidia Molina, Texas State Teachers Association President
TSTA President Ovidia Molina said ultimately, the responsibility should be on lawmakers to address teacher retention and help school districts with funding.
“School districts are already trying to do too much,” Molina said. “They really can’t solve the problem without the help from the state.”
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