(Credit: Hutto Independent School District)
All over Central Texas, school districts have been putting new state funding to good use. The Hutto Independent School District is now the latest to approve new salary increases for teachers and staff thanks to the passage, and eventual signing into law of House Bill 3.
On Thursday night, the board approved its new compensation plan in a 5-1 vote. That plan includes $2.8-million in additional spending for the next fiscal year solely for pay increases, which will range between 5{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d} and 9{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d}, depending on experience.
All non-teaching employees will receive 5{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d} salary bumps across-the-board, as will new teachers and those with five or fewer years of experience. For teachers with 6-21 years of experience, salary increases will be 7{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d}. If a teacher has 22-25 years of experience, 8{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d} raises will be given. And for those who have been in the teaching profession for 26 years or more, 9{fbcf2a5c42fe71624047a18c73673849799bd5d53cdb5d8ca16f4833367ca63d} increases will be added to their salaries beginning next year.
Hutto ISD officials say these increases reflect a desire to remain competitve and attract new talent to the district in the coming years.
Despite the increase in spending, Hutto ISD is still projecting a $9-million increase in revenue generation for the next year.
