Leander ISD board approves 2% raise for district staff in 2021-22 school year

Leander ISD employees will receive a 2% pay increase for the next school year with future options to add an additional 1% increase or one-time stipends.

The board of trustees approved the 2% base pay increase for all staff in the 2021-22 school year compensation plan. The raise was approved May 6 in a 6-1 vote with Board Member Aaron Johnson in dissent. Johnson said he was bothered by the additional pay options and voted against the item because he wanted the 2% raise to be considered separate from the extra options.

Additional scale and stipend adjustments could be added in the future depending on available funds and financial parameters, district officials said. The board of trustees would consider additional pay options at a later date if parameters are met.

These pay increases could include an additional 1% midpoint base pay increase and/or one-time payments. The 1% payment is dependent on the availability of federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funding. The extra percent would cost the district about $2.7 million, district officials previously said. One-time payments would depend on other parameters.

“This is simply asking for the flexibility in the future to do more than what we’re asking with the 2%,” Elaine Cogburn, the chief financial officer, said.

For the 2020-21 school year, the district chose to give employees $800 stipends in December. This was an alternative to the 2% one-time payment suggested in May 2020, which was in lieu of a permanent raise in the 2020-21 budget.

In April, Round Rock ISD approved a 1% raise for teachers and staff for the 2021-22 school year. According to LISD, other districts are in the process of considering raises such as zero-1% in Austin ISD, 2% in Eanes ISD, 1-2% in Georgetown ISD and 1% in Pflugerville ISD.

The board will continue discussing and taking action on the 2021-22 budget in the coming months. The budget will be adopted at the June 24 board meeting, and the tax rate will be adopted in August or September, according to the district. The board approved the budget approval date May 6.