Starting this fall, Clear Creek ISD teachers will see record pay increases to bring their salaries in line with other Houston-area school districts, according to a CCISD press release. The CCISD board of trustees unanimously approved raises for faculty July 22. First-year teachers will see a salary increase from $53,600 to $55,750. Those with zero to four years of experience will see the same salary increase if they have a bachelor’s degree. Those with master’s degrees will go from $54,600 to $56,784, and those with doctorates will see an increase from $55,600 to $57,824—all 4% increases. Teachers with five or more years of experience will get 4.25% raises. Bachelor’s degree holders with five to nine years of experience will go from $56,292 to $58,684. Those with master’s degrees will see an increase from $57,292 to $59,727, and teachers with doctorates will go from $58,292 to $60,769. There are additional increases ranging from 8.35% to 9.49% at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of experience. The approved raises also include pay rate increases for substitute teachers, market adjustments for employees in certain positions to improve recruitment and retention, and an across-the-board 3.5% increase for all other employees. “The success of our school district is contingent on recruiting and retaining a high-quality staff,” Superintendent Greg Smith said in the release. “This board-approved compensation package reflects our commitment to our employees and ensures Clear Creek ISD is a destination for those who have a heart for children.” In total, the pay increases for teachers will cost the district $7.73 million. With raises for non-teaching staff, bus drivers and other positions, the cost is about $11.3 million. Under House Bill 3, CCISD was required to spend 30% of its increase in funding—a total of $4.43 million—on raises. “The board is pleased to far surpass the legal requirements under House Bill 3. The school board values each employee, from our bus drivers to our teachers. We know what they do every day positively impacts children's lives,” board President Laura DuPont said in the release. The raises put CCISD in the middle when compared to other Houston-area districts that recently approved salary increases. Alief ISD will pay its 2019-20 first-year teachers $57,400—a more than 7% increase from 2018-19 rates. Houston ISD will pay $54,369 to first-year teachers for the 2019-20 school year, which is only a 3.5% increase of $1,839 compared to the previous school year, according to data compiled by Community Impact Newspaper. Of a dozen reviewed Houston-area districts, the average pay increase for 2019-20 first-year teachers was 4.5%, or $2,403, which puts CCISD’s raises just below average. However, the average salary for 2019-20 first-year teachers is $55,706, which puts CCISD’s starting salary rate just above average, according to the data. IN OTHER BUSINESS The CCISD board of trustees voted July 22 to appoint former board member Win Weber to the seat of previous trustee Chris Reed, who died in a boating accident June 7. Board members spoke highly of Weber, who did not run for re-election and had her chair filled by Reed during the 2017 election. Trustee Scott Bowen was the sole member to vote against appointing Weber. He said he is confident Weber is a great person, but the board should have interviewed interested candidates instead of appointing someone he has never met. Trustee Page Rander said Weber’s chair will be up for election in May, which will give residents a chance to run and the community and board to learn about the candidates. The board could have ordered a special election or left the chair empty but ultimately thought it best to appoint a former board member for the short remainder of Reed’s term. The board also voted to hold a public hearing Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. for the district’s 2019-20 budget. The proposed tax rate is $1.31 per $100 valuation—$0.97 per $100 for maintenance and operations and $0.34 for debt service. This would be a drop compared to the existing tax rate of $1.40 per $100 valuation.