Conroe ISD approved a resolution June 20 that would allow the district to retroactively pay teacher raises, as the district is waiting for increased funding from the state.

Current situation

In a June 6 board workshop, CISD trustees received a presentation on potential employee compensation packages. However, citing a lack of legislative funding, the board did not vote on a plan and moved discussion to the June 20 board meeting.

CISD Chief Financial Officer Darrin Rice read a resolution at the June 20 meeting regarding those raises, which the board approved unanimously. The resolution stated:
  • The Texas Legislature has not allocated funds for employee pay raises.
  • CISD is hoping that Gov. Greg Abbott will call a special legislative session to provide funding to schools for teacher raises.
  • CISD's approved resolution will allow the district to retroactively pay employees during the 2023-24 school year starting Aug. 1.
  • The school district's fiscal year starts Sept. 1.
  • Until the Legislature approves funds, district employees will be compensated in accordance with the 2022-23 pay plan.
Quote of note: "I appreciate this resolution," Board President Skeeter Hubert said. "We all care deeply about the teachers, everybody on [the board] does. It's a difficult time right now, and to go into a deficit budget is very difficult to ask and show any type of fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers. So, this resolution allows us to go back, if and when teachers are getting some type of a pay raise through the state, then we can go ahead and pay them."

On the other hand


CISD Superintendent Curtis Null said he is expecting teachers to see a pay raise during the 2023-24 school year. However, according to a previous Community Impact report, CISD's budget does not include a raise without state funding.

Hubert said if the state does not provide the funding for a salary increase, the district will give out one-time teacher stipends instead. Board members discussed potential stipends at a June 6 workshop.
  • A retention stipend may be brought before the board for approval in July.
  • Potential stipends include a range of $500, $1,000 or $1,500.
  • The estimated cost to the district for teacher stipends ranges from $4.50 million to $13.25 million.
  • For the past two years, the district approved a $1,500 stipend per teacher.
  • Null suggested giving two $500 stipends.
The next CISD board of trustees meeting will be held July 18 at 6 p.m. in the CISD Administration Building.