The North East ISD board on June 12 approved a nearly $35 million compensation package as part of the district’s biggest salary increase for all staff in more than 20 years.

The big picture

According to a news release, the compensation package for the 2023-24 school year includes a one-time 2% retention supplement for all eligible employees. More than half will benefit teachers, counselors, librarians and nurses.

Returning NEISD teachers and librarians will receive adjustments that realign their respective salary with market comparison data based on their years of experience, district officials said.

Employee groups, such as bus drivers, custodians, general education and special education assistants, and nurses will also receive similar market pay adjustments, the release states.

Eligible hourly employees will get on average a 6% pay hike, and eligible professional employees will receive a 4% increase from the midpoint of the new proposed pay ranges.

What they’re saying

NEISD Superintendent Sean Maika said the district is doing what it can to adequately pay employees given lingering impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and future state funding for public education.

“We’re looking for ways to offset the inflation that is impacting everyone. I want to pay our folks. We’re trying to give what we can back to employees,” Maika said in a statement.

What’s next?

As of June 13, the Texas Legislature had not voted to raise funding for public school districts, so NISD’s 2023-24 compensation package will be offset by cost savings throughout the district over the next several years, according to the release.