June 17th, 2009
Hays CISD approves pay raises

STAFF REPORT

The Hays CISD (HCISD) Board of Trustees approved pay raises for district employees, provided federal stimulus funds match up with legislative mandates.

The raises, which affect teachers, counselors, nurses, speech pathologists and librarians, includes a pay increase of $825 per year, plus a “step increase,” which will be based on years of experience.

The board approved three different salary schedules. One includes no increase, one includes the $825 raise alone and the last factors in the $825 and the step increase.

“The step and $825 will be used if the mandated salary increases are approved and the stimulus funds appropriated by the Legislature flow to the district,” said Hays CISD Deputy Superintendent Carter Scherff. “The $825 increase will be used if the mandated salary increases are not approved and the stimulus funds appropriated by the Legislature flow to the district.”

Under the schedule that includes both the raise and the step, a teacher with five years of experience and a bachelor’s degree would earn $40,250 for the 2009-2010 school year. With the $825 increase without the step, a teacher with five years of experience and a bachelor’s degree would earn $40,150 for the 2009-2010 school year. Without either the raise or the step, that teacher would earn $39,325 for the 2009-2010 school year.

The vote on the increase was 6-0, with Trustee Mark Jones abstaining due to his wife being a teacher at Kyle Elementary School.

The board also unanimously approved a 1.5 percent pay increase for all other district employees, contingent upon state funding. The district’s proposed 2009-2010 budget includes the raises and an increase of $12.13 in the district’s contribution for health insurance for those employees on the $5,000 a month deductible plan.

Also approved was a reformed district leave policy. The new policy includes five days of local leave and five days of state leave. Before the change, employees received 15 days of local leave, but the first five days as deducted form their pay.

In other news, Patti Wood was elected president of the HCISD board during its annual reorganization, with Mark Jones being elected vice-president and Joe Muñoz as secretary.