At the June 17 KISD board of trustees work-study meeting, Schuss presented a plan to increase district employee’s compensation:
- all employees to receive a 4% increase, or approximately $2,475 for teachers;
- all employees to receive a one-time 1% lump sum in December, or approximately $635 for teachers;
- all returning staff to receive an additional one-time 1% lump sum payment in August; and
- classroom teachers and instructional paraprofessionals to receive a 2% increase if an attendance-based performance indicator is met, or approximately $1,200 for teachers.
“We're talking about teachers and classroom professionals earning [an] up to 8% compensation increase,” Schuss said.
The board will vote on this plan at its next meeting June 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Education Support Complex, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy.
House Bill 3—the 86th legislative session's sweeping school finance reform bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 11—requires schools to increase compensation to teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses and other staff, according to a separate presentation by KISD Chief Financial Officer Chris Smith during the June 17 meeting.
Smith estimated KISD will gain about $54.6 million in funding due to HB 3.
HB 3 also requires districts to provide a performance incentive to teachers, Smith said. KISD plans to offer the performance incentive annually; it will not be a one-year program, Schuss said.
KISD traditionally has given staff a 1% lump sum in December, but it added the 1% lump sum in August to welcome staff back to the new school year, Schuss said. He added these compensation increases will occur without increasing health care premiums.
“[It’s] monumental for this district,” General Counsel Justin Graham said. “Kudos to us and doing exactly what the Legislature asked us to do at a very, very meaningful level—[an] 8% [increase for returning] classroom teachers.”
