In the midst of a statewide teacher shortage, Katy ISD’s increased recruitment and retention efforts have left the district virtually unaffected by the statewide scarcity, district officials said.

The teacher shortage began after the State Legislature approved a 2011 funding bill cutting $5.4 billion in public education funding, said Yolanda Edmond, KISD’s assistant superintendent for human resources. About 500,000 teachers in the U.S. relocate or depart education on an annual basis, according to a report from the Alliance for Excellent Education.

KISD has continually needed to both retain and add personnel to keep up with its rapid growth, district officials said. The district surpassed the 40,000-student threshold in 2003, and this year has a budgeted enrollment of more than 75,000 students, KISD’s Chief Financial Officer Chris Smith said.

Smith said KISD is one of about 60 fast-growth districts in Texas, meeting the Fast Growth School Coalition’s requirement of having an enrollment growth of at least 10 percent over the last five years. KISD opened three new schools this year and is set to open another three new schools for 2017-18, equaling roughly $18 million on growth-related costs in fiscal year 2016-17, he said.

Recruitment and retention

KISD had a 2015-16 retention rate of 92 percent for all positions and currently has just two teaching vacancies out of 5,043 positions as of Sept. 9, Edmond said. The statewide teacher retention rate was 83 percent, while KISD’s was roughly 86 percent, according to the Texas Education Agency’s 2014-15 Texas Academic Performance Report.

KISD maintains its relatively low turnover rate by emphasizing recruiting and retaining personnel across several different departments, including teachers, coaches and bus drivers, Edmond said.

“As most people know, Katy ISD for many years [was] able to go off of [its] reputation alone,” she said. “We are finding—especially with our recruiting staff—that it can’t just be that anymore because, with the teacher shortage, you have people that are now willing to go wherever they’re paying the highest.”

Rebecca Fox, president of the KISD board of trustees, said the district has become desirable for educators looking for a long-term career in public education.

“People don’t come to Katy for the highest amount of money. They come for the full package,” she said. “People who come to Katy want to be in Katy; they don’t come only for money. That’s important to us.”

Teachers

District officials said a large part of KISD’s recruitment and retention efforts are centered on salary and benefits for teachers.

Edmond said the district’s starting teacher salary for educators possessing a bachelor’s degree is $50,500. The amount is competitive when compared to neighboring districts, including Alief, Cy-Fair, Fort Bend and Spring Branch ISDs, she said.

“We’re not the highest, nor are we the lowest,” Edmond said.

District officials said another KISD benefit is teacher salary increases; the district’s fiscal year 2016-17 budget included a 1 percent increase to teachers’ base salaries and an additional 1 percent mid year lump sum payment.

District officials said KISD’s benefits package—even more than salary—is responsible for helping attract employees to the district.

Edmond said KISD uses a self-funded method of voluntary benefits as opposed to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Self-funded plans are less expensive than TRS, and KISD’s benefit subsidy is much higher than other districts, she said. [totalpoll id="186448"]

Karen Sparks is the district’s restorative practices coordinator and helps mentor students who are at risk for dropping out. She said in addition to salary and benefits, incentives, such as teacher grants, professional development opportunities and in-class support, help KISD maintain its competitive edge.

“If you choose to be that teacher who goes above and beyond, you can transition in Katy into really developing something quite amazing. And you’ll get the support to do that,” Sparks said.

Coaches

Debbie Decker, KISD’s executive director of athletics, said she has noticed a statewide pattern when it comes to coaching shortages and surpluses throughout her career.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the economy at the time,” Decker said.

Coach contracts ensure KISD is attractive to potential coaches and helps make up for the employee shortage, she said.

Coaches are dual-contract employees who are paid a teaching salary plus a stipend for each sport they coach, she said.

Decker said all athletics employees—except high school head athletic trainers and head football coaches—teach a full schedule of classes. There are 558 coaches in KISD and roughly 60 positions come open each year, she said.

Matt Copeland, a math teacher and football coach at Tompkins High School, said he is pleased with the support KISD offers.

“The salary’s great, and the benefits are great,” Copeland said. “But the culture that we have is just really beneficial. Our staff works together; our administration really does support us. Nobody’s trying to get you; we’re all trying to achieve the same goals. We have high expectations, but we’re also put in a position to be successful.”

Bus drivers

District officials said bus drivers—which often account for the greatest shortage—are treated well in KISD.

Bus drivers earn a starting wage of $16.41 per hour and receive an additional 35 cents per hour per year of experience, Edmond said. Drivers can also earn extra income by transporting students to extracurricular activities, she said.

“It is [a generous rate],” Edmond said. “I want to say there may be one district that’s just a little bit higher than us.”

Edmond said some drivers work a five-hour day, while others work a six-hour day. However, she said all drivers can still receive benefits because it is KISD policy that all employees who work at least 15 hours per week are eligible for benefits. There are 9,460 full-time employees and 535 part-time employees in KISD, she said.

Edmond said on-site child care facilities at the KISD transportation centers, which costs $2 per day, draw parents to work as bus drivers.

Alma Gonzalez, a KISD bus driver for nearly six years, said she has stayed on the job for several reasons.

“For me it’s three things: it’s the day care, the pay and it’s also the convenience,” Gonzalez said. “I am actually very grateful that I got this opportunity with Katy ISD.”