The HISD board of trustees approved a staff compensation plan for fiscal year 2022-23 at its March 31 meeting. As approved, the plan includes a 4% general pay increase for all job groups.
On top of the general pay increase, the plan includes several smaller pay adjustments to individual job groups.
In total, the additional pay is estimated to cost HISD $3.27 million, or 5.5% of its salary expenditures, according to a district presentation.
A 4% general pay increase is on the upper end of the options district staff presented to the board March 31. Staff laid out options ranging from 2%-4% and recommended the board opt for a 3% increase.
The board ultimately voted 5-1 in favor of the 4% increase. Trustee Terrence Owens said competitive pay is just one tool the district will need to utilize to attract and retain staff as other potential employers move into the area.
"With Samsung and possibly Applied Materials coming in and just people not wanting to work in this profession, I think we're going to have to do some outside-of-the-box things, maybe besides the pay raises," Owens said.
Superintendent Celina Estrada Thomas said there is still time to consider additional adjustments before the budget is finalized. Adjustments could include further changes to base staff compensation or additional measures, such as stipends, Thomas said.
"Every month, we're going to get more information [and] really have a much better picture of what our budget is going to look like," Thomas said.
