LUBBOCK, Texas — On Thursday, the Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees announced that every classroom educator, including teachers, in LISD would be getting a raise.
Zach Brady, the President of the Board of Trustees for LISD said the overall raise would be no less than five percent however those with five or more years of experience would be getting a six percent raise.
“We’re very pleased to be able to adopt a budget that takes this needed step to recognize the value that these folks who work with every child, everyday to provide our communities, their students in our district,” said Brady in a press conference.
Brady said thanks to the actions of the legislature, the school district will not only be able to extend this raise, but also have a $0.07 lower school tax rate next year than it was this year.
When the basic allotment increases, districts must dedicate 30-percent of per student revenue gain compared to the prior year to pay raises for non-administrative staff.
75-percent of that amount must be used for compensation increases to teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses prioritizing differentiated compensation for classroom teachers with more than five years of experience.
The remaining 25-percent may be used as determined by the district for compensation increases for full-time employees.
In 2012-2013, beginning teacher pay was increased from $37,500 to $40,000, but all teachers already on the district payroll received a two percent increase.
These five and six percent increases are unprecedented for the district.