Citing reduced staffing and rising costs of living, more than a dozen speakers urged the Round Rock ISD board of trustees to increase pay for educational assistants and paraprofessionals during a March 24 meeting.

The starting pay for RRISD EAs is $13.15, with a maximum of $18.85, and district staff addressing the board pointed out that is not much more than the starting pay for retail and food service sector jobs locally, despite the vast difference in qualifications.

In 2021, the board approved a 1% pay increase for teachers.

Cindy Hernandez, a 15-year EA with the district, told the board in the time she has worked for RRISD, her district wages forced her to sell her home and rely on family members to house herself and her three children, who were students in the district during that time.

Hernandez's experience is not unique, according to multiple former and current district employees who told the board during the March 24 meeting that their benefits and pay no longer stretch as far as they used to.


"I had to secure a second job, and I donate plasma twice a week," RRISD teacher Heidi Klein said. "Last month I made more [money donating plasma] than I do as an educator."

Deaf education assistant Tory Beard said the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment outside of Austin already exceeds her monthly wage.

"We all know that increased value should equal increased pay," Beard said. "Unfortunately, that's not the case here in the last two years."

The board's recent budget discussions regarding pay include increases of 1%, 2% or 3% for the upcoming year. That would increase the projected deficit for the year by $8 million to up to $13.8 million, according to RRISD Chief Finance Officer Dennis Covington.


Regarding district wages, rising inflation and the cost of living recently dominated preliminary discussion of the Round Rock ISD 2022-23 budget held by its board of trustees March 9.

Trustees have also expressed concerns about additional pressures on district staff retention, and have tried to identify possible solutions including pay increases and healthcare policy.

"We're facing ... a difficulty retaining and attracting our workforce, inflation in every aspect of our expenses," Place 4 Trustee Cory Vessa said March 9. "[We have] more demands for our students in terms of learning loss and social emotional needs. We're just in a difficult situation."