The unanimous approval brings pay raises from the midpoint for all campus staff, including teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors, diagnosticians, psychologists, itinerant staff and campus paraprofessionals, according to the April 11 meeting agenda.
The increase equals $11.9 million, according to the agenda.
“We want to send a message to the campuses and the classrooms that we recognize how important that job is and how tough it is,” board President Tracy Scott Miller said. “That is a position of honor.”
The decision to increase pay comes after the administration collected information from the Texas Association of School Boards and other sources to propose salaries for the 2022-23 school year that allow LISD to remain competitive with neighboring districts, according to the agenda item.
The board also approved four other salary- and staffing-related items, including a 3% pay increase for all other staff equaling $1.7 million.
The board approved a market adjustment for staff in the technology department that are under market to raise the salaries to 100% from the midpoint, according to the agenda item. The increase will happen over three years. The total three-year adjustment equals $600,000.
Five $7,500 Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports were also approved by the board during the April 11 meeting.
Board members approved a partnership with Teachers of Tomorrow to create an LISD cohort of special education teachers equaling $167,375, as well.
Another budget workshop will be held in May, and Superintendent Lori Rapp said she plans to bring other salary items to the board, including an increased first-year teacher salary of $59,175.
