On Aug. 15, the Conroe ISD board of trustees unanimously approved a balanced budget of $473 million, which is a $25.45 million increase over the $447.58 million budget for the 2016-17 school year.

This year, board members approved a 2 percent increase in teacher, librarian and nurse salaries as well as raising the district’s starting teacher salary from $51,500 to $52,500 per year.

The board also voted to maintain its tax rate of $1.28, which is 48 cents lower than the district’s tax rate of $1.76 for the 2005-06 school year.

Board President Melanie Bush said the district is unable to reduce its property tax rate because the state has reduced education funding.

“Our state funding keeps decreasing,” Bush said. “I know we had a public comment about the consequences that the appraisals are having on our taxpayers, and that is not something that this board takes lightly at all. Unfortunately, we do not control that.”

Chief Financial Officer Darrin Rice said the district’s student population continues to grow. He said the district predicts about 61,360 students will be enrolled by the end of the 2017-18 school year—a 1,400-student increase from 59,960 students in 2016-17.

Prior to the meeting, Superintendent Don Stockton announced plans to retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year during the district’s Celebrate Our Schools assembly on Aug. 14.

Stockton has served as superintendent since August 2003 and previously worked as an administrator and teacher at several CISD schools.

“It has been an honor to serve in the district for 32 years with 15 of those years as superintendent,” Stockton said.

No details have been announced  regarding the process for selecting a new superintendent.