Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & JULIANNA WASHBURN
MISD approves 2025-26 budget with raises Montgomery ISD trustees approved a $104.9 mil- lion balanced budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year June 24. As part of the budget, board members approved MISD’s employee compensation plan. “We as a board are thankful for what happened in Austin and locally with our community that stood up and supported [Proposition A],” board President Eddie Winn said at the meeting. Diving in deeper The approved budget comes after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2 on June 4, giving public schools $8.5 billion in funding. Alongside a budget for more staffing in areas like transportation, new positions for 2025-26 include: • Four teacher positions • Four campus-based instructional coaches • 28 special education positions WISD approves raises for teachers, staff Willis ISD trustees approved its 2025-26 compensation plan July 10. What it means The plan includes salary increases for teachers, instructional professionals, nonex- empt hourly personnel and administrators, according to the district. Teachers will receive $1,000–$1,500 for one to two years of service, $2,500 for three to four years of service and $5,000 for five or more years of service. The district will also give a 3% raise based on the 2024-25 base salary for instructional professionals, hourly staff and administrators. The compensation plan was first discussed at the June 9 meeting following the signing of House Bill 2 by Gov. Greg Abbott, which will provide permanent raises for educators and support staff as previously reported. “A huge thank you to our board of trustees for their continued commitment to recogniz- ing and rewarding the incredible work of our staff,” the district said in a news release.
Superintendent search begins in CISD Conroe ISD unanimously approved its Superintendent Search Plan June 17. Current situation Superintendent Curtis Null left the district to take the superintendent post in Lake Travis ISD on June 1, and Ted Landry was named interim superintendent May 19, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The superintendent search firm, Texans for Excellence in Education will begin recruiting applicants for the position, which would begin in September. The timeline TEE will conduct four in-person com- munity forums and distribute surveys to students, families, staff and community members this summer.
Montgomery ISD 2025-26 compensation plan highlights
Compensation amount
Funding source
Category
Teacher/nurse/librarian hiring schedule Employees with 0-2 YOE* $2,600- $2,895 raise
MISD
HB 2 and MISD HB 2 and MISD
Employees with 3-4 YOE* $2,900 raise
Employees with 5+ YOE* $5,250 raise
Other employees Employees on auxiliary, paraprofessional, safety and security, child nutrition and transportation pay schedules Employees on the administrative staff pay schedule
6% raise
MISD
4% raise
MISD
Other compensation changes Retention stipend
$500 in December $5 per day increase
MISD
Substitute teacher daily rate
MISD
*YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Conroe ISD approves cellphone ban Conroe ISD board of trustees unanimously approved updated district cellphone policies at its regular meeting June 17. The approval means students’ personal communication devices such as cellphones and smart watches must stay turned off and put away during the school day. “While it’ll be a very difficult adjustment for many, I know it’s going to make an impact on mental health in our district for our students and educational outcomes as well, so I’m thankful for that,” board President Misty Odenweller said. The policy will take effect for grades K-12 on Aug. 13, according to CISD. How we got here The vote comes after the Texas Senate passed House Bill 1481, which mandates that school districts adopt policies banning the use of personal communication devices during the school day. The legislation was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott June 20. Under the approved policy, telecommunications devices “are not to be used during class change passing periods or lunch periods.” According to the CISD packet agenda, the
Policy exceptions Extenuating circumstances or exemptions for the cellphone ban include:
Letting a parent or guardian know of a late bus
Cellphone use is deemed necessary by a medical provider
A 504 plan for students with disabilities specifies using a device
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
consequences for unauthorized use are that the device “will be confiscated with each offense, held in the school office and returned to the student at the end of that school day.” However, the district said district employees can allow students to use their personal devices during the school day in extenuating circumstances such as letting a parent or guardian know of a late bus. CISD documents added that a student can be exempted from the policy if the use of their device is determined as necessary by the student’s medical provider or if the student is part of a 504 plan. “I realize this is a big shift ... it’s not going to just be on teachers and administrators to enforce this, the whole community needs to get behind us,” trustee Lindsay Dawson said.
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CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION
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