The percentage of Austin-area educators who move to a different school or leave the profession after a year of teaching is on par with the state average at about 16 percent, but some school districts want to lower that number. In Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto, districts are focusing on competitive salaries and supportive work environments as ways to reduce teacher turnover.

Salary discrepancies

The average teacher salary in the Greater Austin area is about $48,300—the ninth highest in the state’s 20 education districts, according to the Texas Education Agency. But August Plock, president of the Pflugerville Educators Association, said it is still easy for Austin-area teachers to be enticed by higher-paying school systems throughout the state and transfer out of Central Texas. “[Other metropolitan areas] start their teachers at $50,000, and here in Central Texas it’s about $44,000 and we’re losing teachers to these other areas,” he said. “We call it the ‘CenTex discount’ because school districts rely on the fact that people want to live in the Austin area.” Being an educator is hard, said Jennifer Canaday, governmental relations manager for the Association of Texas Professional Educators. Lack of support and perceived deficiencies in training or compensation can be stressors—especially for new teachers—and lead to low retention rates, she said. “Turnover is definitely a problem,” Canaday said. “There is a much higher turnover in teaching than in other professions.” With the cost of living rising in the Austin area, local salaries may not stretch as far, and Canaday said higher entry-level salaries in other industries could pull college students away from the education field. “Most teachers will tell you they didn’t enter the profession for the money; however the money is important,” she said.

Staying competitive

The Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto ISDs all approved a 2 percent salary increase this year in addition to similar raises last year, according to school district officials. “We want to keep our talent, and we want to grow our talent from within,” Round Rock ISD spokesperson Corey Ryan said. “Our board very seriously evaluates salary schedules and looks at things like cost of living. We’ve always been very competitive against our peer districts in the state.” In a 2015 Texas Association of School Boards survey, 66 percent of Hutto ISD teachers who responded to the survey said their pay was fair, and 78 percent thought it was competitive with other districts. The satisfaction in both areas increased from 2013 by 39 percent and 42 percent, respectively, according to survey results. Lisa Patterson, HISD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, said the school system has been increasing retention efforts and used results from previous TASB surveys to determine how best to support teaching staff. “I would attribute those positive results to the fact that the district took a hard look at what we were paying in comparison to some of our competitors,” she said. “We made some moves and strides in some of those areas based on market data.” For the 2013-14 school year—the most recent data available—HISD’s turnover rate was 22.8 percent, PfISD’s turnover rate was 17.6 percent and RRISD’s rate was 12.6 percent, according to the Texas Education Agency. “[PfISD] has given teachers a 5 percent raise over the past two years, and has covered the increase in insurance premiums for employee insurance,” said Rhonda McWilliams, PfISD human resources executive director, in a statement. “The stipend for bilingualcertified teachers has also increased for 2015-16.”

Retention not just about money

When it comes to teacher retention, training and work environment are crucial, Canaday said. Turnover rates are particularly high among new teachers, which may indicate inadequate preparation and support, she said. Patterson said the tight-knit community in Hutto and HISD is a large contributor to teacher satisfaction there. In the TASB survey, nearly all respondents said they were proud to work for HISD, liked the work they did and felt good about what they accomplished. Ryan said Round Rock’s amenities and the ISD’s reputation help attract quality teachers. “We really do feel strongly in the brand and reputation Round Rock ISD has as a leader and as an innovative [district],” he said. “We feel this is a destination for families and schools.” In PfISD the educators association and proactive school board both serve as a draw for teachers, Plock said. Good campus morale and a supportive administration can help combat turnover, but teachers can still burn out, he said. Canaday said it is more important than ever for communities and officials to support their local educators. “We definitely have to do something to elevate the prestige of the profession,” she said. “[Being an educator] is not an easy job. Overall, we just need to do more to support them.”