May 17, 2022 – The San Antonio ISD Board of Trustees voted last night to approve several agenda items that affect staff compensation for the upcoming school year. The Trustees approved a general pay increase greater than the staff recommendation, an increase to part-time rates, and a revised substitute pay rate. The compensation plans will go into effect with the new workday calendars starting on or after July 1.     

“We believe in the value of our teachers and campus staff and we appreciate all of our employees who have shown amazing grace, strength, and dedication during the last two years of a pandemic,” said Board President Christina Martinez. “While we understand budget constraints, we also felt a strong call to support the staff. Many are still reeling from the effects of COVID-19, and now they are experiencing additional economic realities because of inflation.”

The Trustees approved a tiered general pay increase of 3%-2%-1%. Staff receiving a 3% raise include full-time campus personnel as well as district staff making less than $100,000 base pay. Campus administration such as principals, associate principals, assistant principals, network principals, and network associate principals will earn a 2% pay increase. All non-campus personnel earning $100,000 or more in base pay will receive a 1% raise.

“We decided to move forward with a tiered general pay increase to give lower-wage earners and campus-based staff who work directly with students a larger percentage, while at the same time addressing community input and keeping overall wage costs lower than that same percentage would have done across-the-board,” said Martinez. “We absolutely want to honor all of our staff, and therefore, we approved a raise for all employees at levels that would still allow us to be good financial stewards. We look forward to a time when our budget difficulties are behind us, and we can further show our appreciation with future increases.”

Prior to the vote, staff presented an update on the proposed SAISD budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which included a recommendation for a 2% general pay increase for all full-time staff. Consistent with recent budget workshops, staff shared details regarding a structural budget deficit due to decreased enrollment and attendance. They also shared information on how Texas compares to the nation on per-pupil funding. According to 2022 U.S. Education Spending Statistics, Texas ranks 45th among states at only $9,613 per pupil. New York has the highest rate of $25,520 per pupil, with the average rate among states being about $14,455. 

“We will further support staff by asking our community members to partner with us by advocating at the state level for an increase in per-pupil funding,” said Martinez, “so that all school districts, including SAISD, can be financially healthy, be able to fund high-quality teachers in every classroom, and to provide wrap-around support for students.” 

During the board meeting, Trustees also approved increasing part-time payrates for non-exempt categories. They approved an increase from $9.25 per hour to $12 per hour for general campus- and department-based positions. Trustees also approved an increase to $16 per hour for established part-time SEMS/SERS clerks and counseling clerks to align with the entry rate for non-exempt full-time positions.

Additionally, in an effort to ensure classrooms have appropriate coverage for staff absences and vacancies, the Trustees approved raising the rates of pay for substitutes covering teacher and instructional classroom assignments during the 2022-2023 year. The pay structure provides differentiated rates for certified, degreed, and non-degreed substitutes; on high-need days such as Mondays and Fridays; and for secondary and select campuses that traditionally need support for substitute coverage. Also approved was a substitute instructional assistant pay structure that provides differential rates for special education versus general classrooms.

“The difficult financial outlook that we foresee over the next few years led us to recommend a 2% raise for all full-time staff. We, like the Trustees, wanted this increase to be higher, and we appreciate the solution and compromise the Trustees put forth,” said Superintendent Jaime Aquino. “We are fortunate that our Board leadership is dedicated to ensuring our staff feel appreciated, while also keeping in mind the future financial stability of the district.”

SAISD will continue to hold budget workshops and address the budget in future board meetings through the month of June. A budget website has been created so that staff, families, and community members can easily participate in the process. For more information, visit www.saisd.net/budgetfeedback. 

###

Note to editors: SAISD prepared a staff handout to explain the newly approved compensation.