SCUCISD gives pay raises across the board with new compensation plan

Raises in the compensation plan started with HB 2 ramifications.

The bill, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 4, mandates a $2,500 raise for SCUCISD classroom teachers with three to four years of experience, as well as a $5,000 raise for classroom teachers with five or more years of experience. HB 2 will provide SCUCISD with $4.49 million in funding for the raises, according to agenda documents.

HB 2 using the Texas Education Code definition of the term “classroom teacher” leaves out teacher pay scale employees such as librarians, nurses and instructional coaches. The district’s 2025-26 compensation plan matches the HB 2 raise for these employees at a $430,000 cost for the district.

At a June 10 budget workshop, Chief Financial Officer Brian Moy presented two options, the one chosen by the board and an option to give a 2% raise across the board for teachers and teacher-scale employees.

What they’re saying

Board President Edward Finley said figuring out where the legislature was heading has been a challenge for the district.

“I know it’s been a hard thing to go through this year with all the changes, waiting on legislature to make their final determination and then all of a sudden having to step up and make all those calculations,” Finley said.

Board Vice President Letticia Sever said that she is fine approving a compensation plan giving impacted employees a raise.

“We are taking a leap of faith here with the higher percent ... these discussions that we have are not often times easy, but I think the board can be proud of this compensation plan,” Sever said.