Humble ISD officials propose 3% overall general pay increase for staff members

Humble ISD officials are proposing a 3% overall general pay increase for staff members as part of the district’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget.

The details

HISD Chief Financial Officer Billy Beattie briefed trustees on the proposed compensation increase during the board’s April 14 meeting.

The proposal is coming a year after trustees approved 3% on-average raises for most staff members in the district's FY 2025-26 budget.

While still subject to change, Beattie noted the pay increase was a priority in early budget talks.

“The biggest priority we had in this budget was trying to be as competitive as we could with compensation,” Beattie said. “We could be more cautious with this, but inflation has been running high, ... [and] a 3% raise would go a long way.”

Some context

Beattie said the proposed pay increase is coming as districts across the region struggle with budget deficits. He noted at least 79% of the 14 area school districts located near HISD have adopted deficit budgets in each of the last three school years.

“We have not adopted deficit budgets, and that was a priority again to maintain that balanced budget that we’ve had in place,” Beattie said.

While districts received additional funding from the state for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years through House Bill 2, which was approved by state lawmakers in 2025, he said most of that money was directed toward specific uses, like salary increases, special education and teacher preparation.

Given the challenging budgeting circumstances, Beattie said the district’s proposal to move forward with a 3% pay increase should put them at a competitive advantage for recruiting and retaining employees.

"It looks like the market’s going to move about 1.5%," Beattie said. "This 3% raise would allow us to be really competitive in our local market."

What’s next

Trustees are next scheduled to host a budget workshop on May 12 before potentially adopting a budget June 9.

Beattie noted trustees could approve the district’s compensation package as early as the May 12 budget workshop.

“We could leverage our 3% increase early on,” Beattie said. “Any year that you know that you may be leading the market, getting that approved early allows you to attract and retain [staff].”