The Liberty Hill ISD board of trustees unanimously approved increased teacher compensation for the 2026-27 school year April 20, increasing pay scales above local market medians.
The context
LHISD Chief Financial Officer Rosanna Guerrero and Executive Director of Human Resources Rebecca Owen presented a compensation audit that compared LHISD's previous pay scales to those of 15 surrounding districts.
At $56,693, LHISD's starting salary sat 1% below the local median. However, the gap widens for experienced teachers. A teacher with 20 years of experience earned a median of $67,093 at LHISD, which is $1,941 less than the market median of $69,034. LHISD ranked last among evaluated districts in compensation for teachers with 10 or more years of experience.
The details
LHISD approved new pay scales that would bring compensation above the market median. The starting salary of a LHISD teacher will now rise by $1,807 up to $58,500—surpassed by only Killeen ISD and Jarrell ISD, per district data.
Under the new scales, compensation for teachers at every five-year experience increment will exceed local median levels. A teacher with 10 years of experience will see their salary rise from $63,093 to $65,000, while a teacher with 20 years of experience will see an increase from $67,093 to $69,600
Funding for the increases comes in part from Proposition A, approved by voters in 2025. The proposition allocated $10.7 million toward supporting student programming, teacher recruitment and retention.
The district also receives state funding tied to retention. Through the Teacher Retention Allotment, LHISD receives $2,500 for teachers with three to four years of experience, while those with more than five years of experience receive $5,000. Additionally, LHISD expects its first Teacher Incentive Allotment payout of $1.1 million in August.
What they’re saying
“Our goal is to recruit and retain strong teachers,” Owen said. “If we can get our salary scales adjusted, we’ll be able to retain those teachers.”
