The extent of potential salary increases for teachers, principals and other Austin ISD staff was the focus of an AISD board of trustees work session June 15. By the end of the 90-minute discussion, trustees came up with: a 5 percent salary increase for the 2015-16 school year, a 3 percent salary increase for the 2015-16 school year followed by another 3 percent increase in school year 2016-17, or a 3 percent salary increase for the 2015-16 school year followed by a 2 percent increase in 2016-17. Employees and various other supporters of AISD staff voiced their opinions to trustees in past board meetings that a 5 percent increase this year is what they want. Currently, the district is budgeting for a 1.5 percent increase across the board and an additional 1.5 percent for teachers, librarians and counselors with five or more years of tenure in AISD. Throughout the discussion, trustees gave their opinions as to what they think the salary increases should be. “I think, with the 1.5 [percent increase], and then the 3 percent [increase total], I think we can do a little bit better,” trustee and board president Gina Hinojosa said. “It’s going to be hard to do better but I think we need to try to do a little bit better, because we see what other school districts are proposing to pay their teachers and we know we need to continue to be competitive.” Hinojosa’s proposal to the board was a 3 percent salary increase for all AISD employees for school year 2015-16, and a 2 percent increase the following year. Trustee Kendall Pace said she supported that proposal, but said she sees no way the salary increases can be afforded. “Yes, I’d like to give a fair living wage because it’s unaffordable here [Austin],” Pace said. “I’m willing to roll the dice, but we are going to back ourselves into a corner at a 3 percent and 2 percent trying to find $35 million in cuts.” It would take an estimated $35 million to fund 3 percent and 2 percent across-the-board salary increases over two years. Trustee Ann Teich suggested a similar proposal, but said the school year 2016-17 increase should be 3 percent. Teich also proposed a 4 percent increase for one year and 3 percent for the next. “I think we need to push ourselves to do more to compensate our employees because we are losing them,” Teich said. To help pay for the salary increases, the board also discussed potential alternative revenue streams. Some of the proposals included leasing underused school property, receiving money from the Austin Public Education Foundation and receiving cultural arts funding from the city of Austin. The board did not reach a consensus on salary increases, though the meeting was only meant to be a discussion with no action taken. The board plans to meet again in a retreat to further discuss the budget before the board approves the budget and tax rate in August.