Following a budget workshop at its Feb. 28 meeting, the board passed the 2022-23 campus growth budget, including revised staffing matrices to maintain staffing ratios. Student enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is projected to be 29,651 students, which is an additional 2,039 students compared to the current school year, according to the agenda item’s memo.
Northwest ISD is the fastest-growing district in North Texas, Superintendent Ryder Warren said during a Dec. 15 districtwide update. Projected student growth has doubled for the next five years.
“Our staffing matrices include the additional administrative and support positions for our campuses that could potentially grow beyond our current capacity,” the memo states.
Specifically, the district is looking to maintain kindergarten staffing ratios of 22:1; first through fourth grade ratios at 24:1; and fifth grade ratios to 25:1 by adding about 50 teachers, which would cost about $3.3 million, according to the growth budget presentation.
To maintain a middle school staffing ratio of 165:1, seven more teachers will need to be hired, costing about $462,000, the presentation shows. The high school staffing ratio—which is also 165:1—needs an additional 18 teachers to be maintained, which would cost about $1.9 million.
Anthony Tosie, NISD executive director of communications, said in an email to Community Impact Newspaper, the 165:1 staffing ratios mean an average high school or middle school teacher would see 165 students per day since secondary level students switch classes for each period.
Broken down overall, the district is budgeting $5.1 million for campus positions, $129,000 for ancillary positions, about $1 million for support staff and $578,120 for new campus positions, according to the presentation.
