Board approves pay increase for NEISD employees

North East ISD Board of Trustees has approved an employee salary increase for the next school year. This includes a three percent pay increase for all eligible employees, with an additional pay increase for teachers with more years of experience.

Effective for the 2019-2020 school year, the Texas Legislation approved House Bill 3 (HB3) requiring school districts to increase salaries for certain staff. For NEISD, the state required that $7.3 million be spent on teachers, librarians, nurses and counselors. The District, however, is spending $10.4 million on these particular positions. The statute also requires prioritizing differentiated compensation for classroom teachers with more than five years of experience. 

“We strongly believe that our employees deserve this salary increase and are happy that the Board approved our recommendation, but we must also proceed cautiously because there is no guarantee from the state that this funding will be sustained over time,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sean Maika.

There is still much uncertainty with all of HB3’s ramifications and many rules won’t be written until spring. For that reason, the District felt this was the most viable plan for providing a competitive salary for its employees.

NEISD is spending a total of $14.5 million to make salary increases for all employees possible. Additionally, the District’s self-funded health benefits plan will not see any increases to its premiums for employees.

At the Board meeting on June 20, Trustees approved the following compensation plan for NEISD employees:

Teacher Pay Scales (based on a 10-month assignment):

• Increase the starting salary for teachers and librarians, with 0 (zero) years of experience to $53,000
• For eligible teachers and librarians, grant an across the board three percent (3%) increase equaling $1,700
• Place new-to-district teachers and librarians with 25+ years of experience at the new maximum of $62,028
• In accordance with HB3, “classroom teachers*” with more than five (5) years of experience will be eligible for the following additional differentiated base increase:
  • 6-15 years of creditable experience + $600 annually
  • 16+ years of creditable experience + $1,200 annually 

Professional/Administrative (A,E,P and T) and Classified (C, I, O, P and T) Pay Scales:

• Adjust the pay scale structures to align with market median and alleviate compression with the teacher pay scale
• For eligible employees, grant a three percent (3%) general pay increase based on the midpoint of the new 2019-2020 pay scales
• For returning employees not earning a year of credit, grant a scale adjustment increase of one and a half percent (1.5%) based on the midpoint of the new 2019-2020 pay scales

*Per Texas Education Code Section 5.001 (2), a classroom teacher is defined as an “educator who is employed by a school district and who, not less than an average for four hours each day, teaches in an academic instructional setting or a career and technology instructional setting.” Based on this definition, the District is still reviewing all teaching assignments to determine who will meet these criteria to be eligible for the differentiated increase.

Posted on 6-20-19