LUBBOCK -
A sweet ending to the school year. Lubbock ISD teachers and staff will be getting a pay raise for next year, and that includes first-year teachers.
LISD Trustees approved a salary hike across the board at its Thursday meeting. Teachers and administrators will get an average two-percent salary bump next school year. LISD Superintendent Berhl Robertson said the school district got creative with adjustments, and made some budget reductions.
"We would love to do 3-to-4 percent, you can never pay employees enough teachers especially," he said. "But with the school finance lawsuit that was just settled and ruled in the state's favor, and this next year moving forward we knew that we are not going to get a lot more revenue."
Teacher aides will also get a bigger pay check.
"One of the things that we are really proud of also is giving an eight-percent increase to our lowest paid employees, and those are instructional aids," Robertson said. "We just can't pay them enough."
Starting teachers for LISD will now be making $43,000. Lubbock-Cooper starts is teachers at $36,500. For this coming year, teachers starting at Frenship ISD will make about $36,750, which is $250 more than last year.
Abilene ISD starts its teachers between $45,000-to-$50,000. A starting salary, at Midland ISD, is a little more than $49,000, and that figure is with zero experience, and just a bachelors degree.
Ector County ISD's starting base salary is $44,500, but according to a spokesperson with added bonuses a first year teacher could make up to $50,000.
Clinton Gill, with the Texas State Teacher's Association, said lawmakers now need to do their job.
"The state funding for many years has been very flat," he said. "So, our elected officials need to do their part to increase the funding for school districts across the state."
Trustees also voted to give Robertson a two-percent salary increase for the next school year.
