The Eanes ISD board of trustees unanimously adopted a $154.3 million budget for the 2016-17 school year—a $14.5 million increase in spending compared with last year’s budget—on June 21.

EISD’s spending increase is largely because of the increase in taxable value of residential properties in the district—an estimated 9.7 percent—said David Edgar, assistant superintendent for business services.

The district will contribute $82 million to recapture, a state-mandated system through which property-rich districts, such as EISD, are required to send money to the state to be redistributed among property-poor districts. The contribution is up $11 million compared with last year’s budget, Edgar said.

The total revenue approved was $152.5 million, leaving a $1.7 million draw from the fund balance, or district savings account, to account for the shortfall for the 2016-17 school year, he said.

EISD is expecting 8,156 students for the 2016-17 school year, an increase from the 8,053 students enrolled in the 2015-16 school year.

The board of trustees voted May 24 to increase salaries by 2 percent compared with last school year for faculty and staff and increase the amount the district contributes to health care benefits by 5 percent compared with last school year. The board also added 11 full-time-equivalent, or FTE, positions for the 2016-17 school year.

Hourly compensation increases

The board also voted June 21 to spend an additional $155,000 to raise hourly pay grades by 1 to 2 percent, depending on the pay grade.

The employees benefiting from the raise—which comes in addition to the 2 percent districtwide pay increase passed May 24—include bus drivers, teaching assistants, administrative assistants, after-school workers, custodians, and child nutrition and maintenance workers.

“I think [the pay raise] shows how much we value our employees,” trustee Ellen Balthazar said.

Trustee Jennifer Salas echoed Balthazar’s sentiments.

“We’re overdue with this type of adjustment,” she said. “The cost of living in Austin has skyrocketed in the last decade. I think we have a responsibility to take care of our staff.”

She said by only drawing $1.7 million from the fund balance in the 2016-17 school year instead of the expected $2 million, the difference can be used for the hourly pay raises.

“This staff is so important,” board President Colleen Jones said after the vote on June 21. “They are the face[s] that the kids see over and over again.”