Some San Marcos CISD teachers will receive an increase to their annual salary, funded by a new state law under House Bill 2, passed in the 89th Texas Legislature.

At an Aug. 18 board meeting, the SMCISD board of trustees discussed implementation of HB 2, which would give raises to teachers with three or more years of experience and select support staff, such as bus drivers and janitorial staff.

The bill, however, does not include salary increases for beginner teachers or non-teaching staff. SMCISD officials have plans to approve compensation for non-HB2-eligible employees, but have not yet approved that compensation plan.

The details

Through HB 2, SMCISD teachers will receive pay raises based on years of experience:

• $2,500 salary increase for teachers with 3 to 4 years of experience
• $5,000 for teachers with 5 or more years of experience

Those excluded from HB 2, such as teachers with zero to one year of experience, instructional coaches, nurses, and speech therapy assistants, are set to receive a $604 salary increase, according to a presentation from the SMCISD Human Resources department. However, the board has not officially approved the compensation plan.

The board is set to bring the revised plan up for a vote later in September. Paychecks will be adjusted once approved, SMCISD officials said. Those not included in HB 2 are getting paid according to 2024-25 salaries.



What else?

The SMCISD compensation plan also includes a “bonus” or stipend through the district’s Longevity Salary Schedule for staff with five or more years of experience. The additional compensation is aimed at retaining experienced teachers within the district, Chief of Human Resources Officer Stephanie Muñoz said.

The bonus is separate from the HB 2 compensation model and is approved by the board each year. This year’s Longevity Salary Schedule was approved within the district’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget.

Another thing

SMCISD officials are making progress on getting additional teacher compensation through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, or TIA, said Beth Cantu, director of talent acquisition.

The TIA helps “top-performing” teachers on the path to a six-figure salary. SMCISD is currently in phase two of getting TIA funds, which includes collecting data on teacher performance and conducting a teacher survey.

SMCISD staff eligible for the TIA include the following teachers:

• Math and reading teachers, as well as special education co-teachers who teach kindergarten through eighth grade
• Bilingual reading and math teachers, as well as special education co-teachers who teach fourth and fifth grade
• Teachers and special education co-teachers who teach English I, English II and Algebra I

Teachers who are designated as high-performing according to TIA standards would receive compensation for the 2026-27 school year.

Stay tuned

The SMCISD board will reconvene for agenda preview at 12 p.m. Sept. 2 and hold its regular board meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Felipe Reyna Administration Building.