Comparing payrolls Compared to other districts, Richardson ISD commits a high percentage of its annual operating budget to payroll, spending over 90% in scal year 2021-22. Operating expenses Payroll
Richardson ISD
90.48%
$377.3M
Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD
85.08%
$302M
Frisco ISD
88.31%
$605M
McKinney ISD
82.10%
$222.4M
Plano ISD
86.30%
$671.3M
"Helping their students succeed is goal No. 1, and [teachers] should be compensated in a way that shows their hard work is recognized." CHRIS GOODSON, RISD ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
(214)-619-3555
compensation for teachers and sta . “From a teacher’s perspective, the time spent planning, preparing, communicating, [and] caring for and monitoring students goes well beyond the short window of 8 a.m.-3 p.m.,” Goodson said. “Teachers arrive early, stay late and serve as a source of knowledge and support for all stu- dents. Helping their students succeed is goal No. 1, and they should be com- pensated in a way that shows their hard work is recognized.” Long-term solutions Going forward, RISD o cials said they hope to increase enrollment by making the district more appealing to incoming families. Branum said the district is working to develop a method to attract more students. “It might be that we have an oppor- tunity to create an innovative school model or create a program that may attract more people to enroll in Rich- ardson ISD long-term,” she said. RISD hopes to use its fund balance to alleviate concerns from lower enrollment going forward, she said. “I appreciate prior administrations and prior boards who have continu- ously been scally responsible,” Bra- num said. “We have a very healthy fund balance, and we ... are not antic- ipating any [cuts to programs].”
is creating a more compet- itive package to entice incoming teachers. District data shows RISD has the lowest starting salary in the region at $55,000 per year. District o cials esti- mated the average teacher salary in the region starts at $56,787. Trying to maintain a competitive advantage among nearby districts, Branum and RISD created a teacher compensation program for the 2022-23 school year. She said the compensation plan is a bold measure that also allows RISD to remain nancially responsible. “We don’t necessarily need to be the very top district in that compensation [list], but we want to be very compet- itive,” she said. “In order to do that, we need to create additional capacity in the budget in order to continue to grow in the next couple of years. That’s where these other strategies can come into e ect.” As part of the compensation pack- age, which was approved during the May 9 board meeting, RISD will be increasing salaries for both new and returning teachers. For new teachers, the starting salary will increase to $57,000, growing above the average among districts in the area. Full-time sta are set to receive a pay raise between 4% and 5%, depend- ing on their position and experience. Chris Goodson, assistant superin- tendent of human resources, said RISD knows how important it is to increase
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
17
RICHARDSON EDITION • MAY 2022
Powered by FlippingBook