Spring ISD employees could receive a raise in the upcoming school year, even though it would mean a budget deficit for the district, SISD leaders told trustees on April 12.
Currently, the district estimates student enrollment for the 2022-23 school year will be about 33,610, while property value is expected to grow by about 5%, Chief Financial Officer Ann Westbrooks said at an April 7 board workshop.
With the preliminary budget projections, SISD leaders are proposing a 2% salary increase for employees in the next school year, Superintendent Lupita Hinojosa said April 12.
“Based on what we see available for us, we are proposing a 2% salary increase, although it would place the district in a $28 million deficit,” Hinojosa said.
The preliminary budget is calculated based on a maintenance and operations tax rate of $0.902 per $100 valuation—the same M&O tax rate trustees approved for fiscal year 2021-22. However, all of the estimates could change before the budget is finalized, Westbrooks said.
The district will receive its certified property values from the central appraisal district by April 30, which will help the district more accurately calculate budget numbers and tax rates. A meeting will be held June 14 for trustees to consider adopting the final budget.
In October, trustees approved a total district tax rate for FY 2021-22 of $1.3128 per $100 valuation, down from the previous year’s tax rate. The district’s interest and sinking tax rate is $0.41 per $100 valuation.
Enrollment has been dropping for the district since the 2019-20 school year. SISD trustees began discussing the fiscal year 2022-23 budget in March, when district officials said they were planning to cut department budgets by 5% compared to FY 2021-22. Campus budgets are expected to remain intact.
During the public comment portion of the April 12 board meeting, Tasha Braggs Wilson—an SISD paraprofessional and member of the SISD branch of the American Federation of Teachers union—spoke about the struggles paraprofessionals are facing and asked trustees to consider raises for paraprofessionals in their future budget discussions. Braggs Wilson attended graduate school before coming to SISD but earns about $1,200 per month as a paraprofessional, she said.
“Like our teachers, we also want a home in Spring ISD, and [we] have to work multiple jobs to survive,” Braggs Wilson said. “[I] hope that you do not forget the hard-working paraprofessionals when looking at raises for the [FY 2022-23] budget.”
Yolanda Merritt, an SISD teacher and leader of the SISD AFT, also spoke during the meeting’s public comment portion. She urged trustees to consider a 4% raise per semester, or 8% overall, for staff in the upcoming school year as well as decreased workloads and more work-life balance for employees.
“We understand that educating our scholars is a profession of service and of a whole lot of heart,” Merritt said. “I believe we share the fact that we do not do this for money. However, we want to be able to support our family financially, while spending much needed quality time taking care of our family as well as our own well-being.”
Trustees have not yet fully begun the discussion regarding staff raises, Board President Justine Durant said, although the district passed a retention incentive package April 12 for current teachers and new recruits for the 2022-23 school year.
