The board of trustees approved 2% raises for certified classroom teachers with zero to two years of experience and other certified staff at a July 21 meeting. The action comes weeks after state lawmakers passed an $8.5 billion school funding package to provide raises for teachers with three or more years of experience.
“Unlike with House Bill 2—the teacher retention allotment for three years and up—everything that we’re asking for here, we do not have funding for,” interim Superintendent Travis Motal said about the employee raises approved July 21.
Zooming in
In LHISD, certified teachers with zero to two years of experience will receive a 2% raise of $1,200 for a starting salary of $56,050, according to the district’s presentation. Fifty-five educators are expected to qualify for the raise, including classroom and special education teachers, academic interventionists and elementary librarians.
Certified educators who do not fit the state’s definition of a classroom teacher will also receive a 2% raise of $1,200. This includes 51 district employees, such as secondary school librarians, nurses, behavior interventionists, instructional coaches and specialists. More than half of these educators have 11 or more years of experience.
“It’s a group of teachers that play a significant role on the campuses, but unfortunately, the state has not given us any extra funds to help support this,” LHISD Human Resources Director Rebecca Owen said.
LHISD administrators did not recommend increasing compensation for uncertified teachers with zero to two years of experience, which will remain at a starting salary of $54,850. The district has 54 uncertified teachers,48 of whom have less than three years of experience, according to LHISD information.
In districts with more than 5,000 students, House Bill 2 provides $2,500 raises for classroom teachers with three to four years of experience and $5,000 raises for teachers with five or more years of experience.
Additionally, kindergarten through fifth-grade educators teaching reading and math in LHISD must become certified by the fall of 2026 under HB 2, Owen said. All educators teaching core subjects must become certified by the fall of 2027, according to the law.
The number of uncertified teachers hired by public school districts in Texas has skyrocketed in recent years, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The rise comes as experts say there are not strong enough incentives for all teachers to complete certification programs. Meanwhile, many school districts are turning to uncertified teachers to combat staffing shortages and reduce class sizes.
Going forward
LHISD is looking to invest in Grow Your Own and teacher preparation programs to help educators receive their certification, Owen said. The district may receive $1,000 reimbursements from the state for teachers who were uncertified in the 2023-24 school year, she said.
“Pretty soon we're not allowed to have any uncertified teachers,” Owen said. “This program will help us to support them and give them the resources that they need.”
The board of trustees is expected to vote on the final piece of the district’s compensation plan that accounts for HB 2 funding at its Aug. 4 meeting, Chief Financial Officer Rosanna Guerrero said.
“We're trying to do something for everyone, but it does not go far,” Guerrero said about new state funding for staff pay raises.
Hannah Norton contributed to this article.
