As Fort Bend ISD faces a potential temporary tax hike to subsidize staff raises, a compensation study shows that while teacher pay remains competitive, there are discrepancies in the minimum pay for auxiliary staff.
For the first time since the 2012-13 school year, the Texas Association of School Boards, or TASB, compared FBISD’s 2024-25 pay to 13 nearby districts, similar-sized districts across the state, as well as to private companies and other public jobs—like police officers, custodians and office staff—outside of schools.
"The Houston metro area is a super competitive market—definitely one of, if not the highest, in the state,” Amy Campbell, director of human resource services at TASB, said at a Sept. 8 FBISD agenda review meeting. "You're not only competing with other ISDs—you're also competing with private sector or other public sector employers."
The takeaways
Campbell said Fort Bend ISD stands out among peer districts for having a more experienced group of teachers. Less than half of the district’s teaching staff has 10 or fewer years of experience, which she said is unlike most urban and suburban districts where the majority of teachers are early in their careers.
Campbell said one possible reason is that the district's starting salaries are around $2,000 below the regional average, and by year five, FBISD teachers earn more than their peers in nearby districts. At 20 years of experience, they make about $3,200 more than the market median.
Meanwhile, although instructional support and administrative positions are competitive or above market, auxiliary positions such as custodians, bus drivers and police staff were found to be below market average pay.
“These jobs have higher turnover,” she said. You're typically hiring less experienced staff and that minimum [pay grade] is a bigger driving factor in recruitment and retention.”
Another thing
While performing arts, academic and sponsor stipends were mostly at or above market levels, Campbell said teaching certification and athletic-related stipends are below market value.
Taking a step back
Trustee Afshi Charania said many experienced teachers benefited from the November 2023 voter-approved tax rate election, bringing in an estimated $35.2 million annually during the 2023-24 school year for staff increase, Community Impact reported
In June, the board approved the 2025-26 budget, which included $40 million to fund raises through 2027 through the 89th Texas Legislature’s House Bill 2. These funds covered raises for experienced teachers and non-administrative staff.
