Milano and Thorndale teachers will join with Rockdale instructors—and for that matter, those throughout the state—in receiving significant raises for the 2019-20 school term as part of the new HB 3.
(For story on Rockdale ISD see page 1A).
MILANO—Robert Westbrook, Milano ISD superintendent, told The Reporter prior to the beginning of this school year a beginning teacher at Milano would earn about $35,000 with the top of the salary scale ending at $49,000.
“With this new infusion of funds we have set our starting salaries at $45,000 with our pay scale topping out at $61,000,” he said.
The Texas Legislature has earmarked a large portion of additional funds this year for teachers and other non-administrative personnel.
“The average school district in Texas will receive approximately $850 more in funding per student,” he said. “HB 3 nearly doubles that amount for Milano ISD which helps to address the inequities in the previous system.”
“The infusion of funds has allowed us to become more competitive in terms of compensating our teachers, which should help us in attracting and retaining staff,” he said.
THORNDALE—It’s a similar story in the Thorndale ISD where trustees, in their July meeting, unanimously approved a salary schedule presented by Supt. Adam Ivy and Business Manager Rebecca Peel.
It provides for:
• An average of 10.5 percent increase for teachers.
• An average increase of 9.5 percent for paraprofessionals that are on a pay scale.
• An average increase of 9 percent to the maximum of the pay scale for all other professional, administrative and hourly employees.
• Increase of 87 cents per hour for bus drivers.
• Each employee will get a specific pay estimate based upon their position and experience when the return to school next month.
Ivy and Peel said TISD administrators tried to follow the letter of the law in how the new funds should be spent and that, in particular, priority was given to teachers with more than give years experience. They said they felt raises are “long overdue.”
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