One Local District Finding New Ways To Pad Teachers’ Paychecks

The Texas Legislature did not pass any public school teacher pay increases during the regular session that ended in May, despite the fact that the state is sitting on a record $32.7 billion budget surplus this year.

Legislators considered a bill for a one-time bonus of $2,000 to $6,000 for each public school teacher in the state, but it failed to pass in the regular session. State Sen. Brandon Creighton, who chairs the Senate’s Education Committee, told reporters last month that he hopes lawmakers will come to an agreement on a pay increase during a special session later this year.

In the meantime, school districts across Texas are exploring other ways to increase teacher salaries without state aid. Flatonia I.S.D. hopes to do just that in the coming school year, with some of the funding coming through tax deals with two solar farms.

Flatonia Superintendent Chris Sodek said his district will provide all returning fulltime employees with a $1,500 retention stipend in September using funds from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grant program. The ESSER program was part of the COVID-related CARES Act signed by President Donald Trump in 2020. Sodek said the Flatonia I.S.D. Board of Trustees already approved that stipend. The district will also provide a $500 recruitment stipend for employees that are new to FISD for the 2023-2024 school year. This stipend will be paid in December, Sodek said, and the funds will come from the ESSER grant.

In October, Sodek said, the District hopes to provide another $1,500 to all current full-time employees through the form of a cost-of-living stipend. He said the board has approved this stipend, but they are in the process of forming a formal resolution to clearly define it.

Then in December, Sodek said the District hopes to provide each employee with a $500 Christmas bonus. He said the board will consider this bonus when it sets the budget for the new school year later this month. Sodek said the Christmas bonus would be prorated for part-time employees as well.

Flatonia I.S.D. inked a deal with 7V Solar Ranch in 2020 for reduced property tax obligations over a 15 year period for the multi-million dollar solar energy development. Flatonia I.S.D. will receive a one-time revenue protection payment from 7V under the terms of the agreement. The Wild Peach Solar Project applied for a similar deal last year. Sodek said the district hopes to use the solar funds for a $1,500 one-time cost-of-living stipend in the Spring of 2024 for all current full-time employees.

In addition, Sodek said, the District hopes to offer a school year completion stipend next June using ESSER funds with the amount to be determined.

“We’re trying to be creative with doing some stipends to help the teachers for this one year in case the State does nothing,” Sodek said. “If the State decides to do something for teacher pay this year, these stipends will be on top of whatever the state does.”

The Texas Tribune recently reported that lawmakers are eyeing a special session in October to consider statewide teacher pay raises.