Every new school term Rockdale ISD Supt. Dr. Denise Monzingo writes an introductory letter to teachers and other staffers.
This year’s is her favorite.
Thanks to new legislation, she is able to tell the 2019-20 teaching staff they will get pay increases averaging 10 percent.
That’s between $5,000 and $6,000 per person.
There’s more. The RISD will receive about $4-million more from the state than last year and about half that sum will go toward getting the district “caught up” as it enters its first year without Luminant on the tax rolls.
And it’s all going to happen without a tax rate increase. Note, that’s tax rate as many RISD residents have seen substantial appraisal increases.
‘WE SEE YOU’—“We are so delighted to be able to have a substantial raise for our teachers,” Dr. Monzingo said. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time but just did not have the resources.”
She noted the district has given some small pay hikes in recent years but this fall is a different story.
“They work so hard and are so dedicated to the business of educating our students,” Dr. Monzingo said. “We’ve always wanted to be able to say ‘we see you, we know what you’re doing and we appreciate you’.”
Teachers, and some other non-administrative personnel, with up to five years experience will see a $5,000 raise, 6 to 10 years a $5,500 raise and 11 to 41 years—the most experience in the RISD—will get a $6,000 increase.
(In addition, classroom teachers will receive a $1,000 stipend for a masters degree in education or in the field of their assigned teaching position.)
No raises will go to administrators. That’s in the new HB 3, which is providing the money for the increases. Teacher pay raises were a major intent of the new bill.
“It’s mandated in the legislation that 30 percent of the increased funds go to salaries and that 75 percent of that goes to teachers (and other non-administrative personnel),” she said.
Dr. Monzingo said the district is also increasing the amount it gives teachers for monthly insurance premiums by $145.
And, in addition to the salaried employees, Rockdale ISD hourly workers are receiving at least a 6-percent increase.
LUMINANT—“We are spending $1.8 million of the $4 million on those salary increases,” Dr. Monzingo said.
About half the extra funds will go to take up the slack for the complete loss of Luminant’s facilities. Luminant had been the district’s largest taxpayer since the loss of Alcoa a decade ago.
“This is the first year in which we receive nothing from Luminant,” Dr. Monzingo said.
TAX RATE—Administrators plan to vote on a $1.3184 tax rate, more than four cents lower than the current $1.36 rate later this summer.
Taxpayers are advised that doesn’t necessarily mean their tax bill will go down.
Appraisals, sent to county residents in May, increased substantially this year.
Single-family residences went up 13.79 percent.
HERE IT COMES— Those teachers will soon be returning to their classrooms.
New teachers will report Aug. 5 and 6, followed by a week of staff development for the entire Rockdale ISD from Aug. 7-14.
First day for students to report to classes is Aug. 15.
New student registration: July 31, 8 a.m. to 12-noon, 1 to 4 p.m.; Aug. 1, 10 a.m. to 12-noon, 1 to 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 2—8 a.m. to 12-noon, 1 to 4 p.m.
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