The Woodlands edition | May 2022

EDUCATION Conroe ISDplans for salary increases to stay competitive among area districts

ONETIME RAISES Conroe ISD budgeted $13.3 million in 2022-23 for raises for all employees as well as one-time stipends of $1,500 throughout that school year funded through federal relief funds.

BY VANESSA HOLT

for districts. In addition to the raises, the board approved a total of $1,500 in one- time stipends for each employee through the federal Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund to be paid $500 in the fall and $1,000 in the spring. Rice said the stipends rep- resent $10 million of the $31 million available through ESSER III, the third round of awards given to districts for COVID-19-related relief in 2020-21. The board workshop included a presentation by Jennifer Barton, a representative of the Texas Associ- ation of School Boards. The TASB compared CISD’s

Conroe ISD has approved several salary increases for the 2022-23 school year, but ocials said future raises may require legislative action for the district to budget the neces- sary funds. At a special meeting of the CISD board of trustees April 5, the board unanimously approved an employee pay plan presented at a workshop earlier that afternoon. The plan includes a $1,500 pay increase for teachers, a 2% increase for nonteachers and starting pay for hourly employees beginning at $13

Raises: $13.3M

Raises are funded from the general budget.

2% raises for all nonteacher employees

$60,000 starting salary for teachers

$13/hour minimum for hourly employees, an increase from $12/hour

$1,500 increase for teachers

The stipends for all employees are funded from federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.

Stipends: $10M

$500 (fall) + $1,000 (spring) stipends for all district employees in 2022-23 STAYING COMPETITIVE Conroe ISD projects regular starting salary increases are needed to stay above the market median. In 2021-22 its pay was higher than ve other local districts.

per hour as well as a new teacher starting salary of $60,000. Ocials said the raises will help to keep the district competitive with others in the region. The total of $13.3 million in salary increases will be funded

pay plans and made recom- mendations, including the suggestion to institute a gen- eral pay increase and continue to monitor its compensation plans. She said the district is “very

“IT’S GOING TOBE UP TOOUR LEGISLATURE TOVOTE TOPUT MOREMONEY INTO THE SYSTEMTO ALLOWUS TOGIVE EMPLOYEE RAISES.” DARRIN RICE, CONROE ISD CFO

Starting teacher salaries in 2021-22

Conroe ISD Aldine ISD

$58,000

$58,500 $58,500

Cy-Fair ISD

$57,800

Klein ISD

$54,450

New Caney ISD Montgomery ISD

$59,000

$57,500

Spring ISD

Tomball ISD

$56,700

through the general budget, CISD Chief Financial Ocer Darrin Rice said. While the district had planned for raises in the next school year, Rice said subsequent raises may not immediately be possible. “It’s going to be up to our Legis- lature to vote to put more money into the system to allow us to give employee raises,” he said regard- ing the state’s funding formula

competitive” within its group for teacher pay. In the 2021-22 school year, teachers’ salaries in CISD were $700 above the local market median of $58,500. Among the group of school districts used for comparison in the region are Aldine, Cy-Fair, Klein, Montgomery, New Caney, Spring and Tomball ISDs. District ocials said the new pay plan will emphasize strong starting

SOURCES: ALDINE, CONROE, CYFAIR, KLEIN, MONTGOMERY, NEW CANEY, SPRING AND TOMBALL ISDS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

salaries, midpoint salaries in line with the market and increasing starting rates for nonexempt employees. Neighboring TISD, which also serves a portion of The Woodlands area, on April 12 approved a 4% raise on the midpoint value for all sta for the 2022-23 scal year as well as $12

hourly pay for hourly employees. The starting teacher salary will be $57,500. Magnolia ISD, which also serves western portions of The Woodlands area, had not discussed 2022-23 com- pensation changes as of late April. Kayli Thompson contributed to this report.

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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • MAY 2022