CONTINUED FROM 1 HELP WANTED With the 2023-24 school year approaching, Leander and Round Rock ISDs are experiencing greater shortages of auxiliary sta than neighboring Austin ISD. Un lled positions exist in the transportation, custodial and child nutrition departments.
Austin ISD
Leander ISD
Round Rock ISD
AS OF JULY 24
AS OF JULY 18
AS OF JULY 25
4.6% positions open Bus drivers 7.8% positions open Child nutrition services 6.6% positions open Custodians
52% positions open Bus drivers 53% positions open Child nutrition services 11% positions open Custodians
37.4% positions open Bus drivers N/A* Child nutrition services 6.8% positions open Custodians
SOURCES: AUSTIN, LEANDER & ROUND ROCK ISDS COMMUNITY IMPACT
*CHILD NUTRITION STAFF NUMBERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AS THE SERVICE IS MANAGED EXTERNALLY.
Market conditions As school districts rely on state-established for- mulas that don’t adjust for in ation, Curran said it has been a challenge for the district to compete with pay rates at private companies. “Employees have choices in where they work, and in the current economy, employees often leave to work in other industries where they can get paid more,” Curran said. “Cost of living in the Round Rock area adds to this challenge.” To address these challenges, the district adopted a $15 minimum hourly wage for auxiliary positions for the 2022-23 school year and raised bus driver pay rates by over 32% since 2019, Curran said. However, budgetary constraints from rising recapture payments and less federal funding have made it di cult for RRISD to hire and maintain support sta positions, district o cials said, with recapture payments for the upcoming year esti- mated to reach nearly $77.8 million. For 2023-24, RRISD approved a pay increase for teacher and other sta positions by 3% and 2%, respectively, and called a voter-approval tax rate election that would further increase those raises to 6% and 5%. These raises do not apply to sup- port sta positions such as bus drivers, custo- dians and food service workers, however, said Maritza Gallaga, interim chief of public a airs and communications. Meanwhile, the LISD board of trustees approved a 4% wage increase for all employees in April. Gearing said the pay bumps have not eliminated the sta ng shortages altogether as in ation has increased, and surrounding districts are providing similar raises. It has, though, allowed LISD to keep pace with the market, he said. Gonzales-Dholakia said the cost of living can have a signi cant impact on districts such as LISD because sta can make about the same amount working in an area where homes and rental proper- ties are cheaper. She said while the board left room for pay adjustments when it adopted the scal year 2023-24 budget—87% of which goes to employee wages—it hinges on the Texas Legislature allocat- ing more funding to schools. “I think if our state doesn’t do something sig- ni cantly [to address] the pay gaps in public [edu- cation], we’re going to see these critical positions have vacancies throughout the entire system,” Gonzales-Dholakia said.
It’s been an ongoing issue for LISD as Super- intendent Bruce Gearing said the district is still working to ll its ranks in the transportation, custodial, food service and maintenance depart- ments heading into the 2023-24 school year. “We continue hiring throughout the year as well, but we never really are fully sta ed in any of those areas throughout the year,” Gearing said. RRISD is facing similar di culties as federal emergency funding has elapsed for key positions, and recapture payments to the state are anticipated to rise in the next year, according to the district. Spread thin Roughly a month before school started, LISD was in need of 50 bus drivers and 100 child nutrition services sta members, meaning more than 50% of these positions were vacant. “All of these support roles, they also impact the classroom,” said Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia, an LISD parent and the board of trustees president. “If you can’t get your students to campus on time, that impacts the classroom. If they don’t have enough sta to prepare a healthy meal, that impacts the classroom.” School o cials said they believe a combination of factors has resulted in the sta ng shortages, pointing to cost-of-living increases, competition from other districts and industries, and a declining workforce. State lawmakers also ended this year’s regular legislative session without allocating more dollars to public schools, making it di cult for districts to keep up with the demands of the job market. RRISD has struggled to ll transportation sta positions, such as bus drivers, more than other auxiliary positions. Around 37% of the district’s 187 transportation positions were vacant a couple weeks before school started, 35 of which were bus driver positions, said Eddie Curran, chief human resources o cer for RRISD. About 17% of maintenance sta positions and 7% of custodial positions were vacant in RRISD as of July 25. Curran said bus driver vacancies mean students and parents are facing increased route times, delays and overcrowding in their buses. When a bus driver is unavailable, other transportation sta have to step in to cover those routes, he said.
"I THINK IF OUR STATE DOESN’T DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY TO ADDRESS THE PAY GAPS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION , WE’RE GOING TO SEE THESE CRITICAL POSITIONS HAVE VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.” GLORIA GONZALES DHOLAKIA, LEANDER ISD PARENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT
WHAT'S THE PAY? Over the last year, many district o cials have upped the starting pay for bus drivers, custodians and child nutrition workers in e orts to increase retention and gain interest from candidates.
Austin ISD
Leander ISD
Round Rock ISD
Bus drivers 2022-23
$21/hr
$20/hr
$21.25/hr
$25/hr
$20-$22/hr
$21.25/hr
2023-24
Child nutrition services 2022-23 $16/hr
$15/hr
$15/hr
$20/hr
$15.46/hr*
$15/hr
2023-24
Custodians 2022-23
$16/hr
$15/hr
$15/hr
$20/hr
$15.46/hr*
$15/hr
2023-24
SOURCES: AUSTIN, LEANDER AND ROUND ROCK ISDS COMMUNITY IMPACT *$1.50 MORE PER HOUR FOR STAFF IN SOUTHERN PART OF DISTRICT AS INCENTIVE
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