by Nicole Bradford
Pearland ISD Trustees on Nov. 14 approved pay increases for teachers, courtesy of local voters.
Voters on Nov. 7 approved raising the school district’s tax rate to help close a budget deficit and retain teachers.
“When we asked voters to approve the VATRE we brought forward a contingency compensation resolution, which (the board) approved,” Superintendent Larry Berger said.
One-time payments equivalent to the pay increase allow for a 2 percent increase for teachers and 1 percent for administrators, which will go out starting Dec. 18. The checks should provide teachers with just under $1,000 before the holiday break. The adjustments will be included in paychecks going forward.
“Every teacher for the 23-24 school year will have a 4 percent raise, and that 4 percent raise will be reflected in their base salary moving forward and anything we add for the 24-25 year will be on top of that.”
Pearland ISD Trustees again thanked those who supported the tax rate ratification.
“I just want to say thank you to our community for showing up,” Trustee Crystal Carbone said.
“With the results we saw, people who voted said ‘absolutely we love what our teachers are doing; we love what our school district is doing,'” PISD Trustee Kris Schoeffler said. “We’re not perfect. There are warts. But overall, a wonderful product we’re turning out, which is champions, leaders, winners that are going to go on and do great things.”
