At their June regular Board meeting, NISD Trustees approved a $21.7 million compensation package that will provide salary increases for all employees.
The Board and Superintendent have spent months in budget planning for the 2022-23 school year to support a compensation plan that places NISD as the district with nearly the highest salary structure in Bexar County. This includes everyone from new employees to veteran employees.
The raise includes a $1,250 increase for teachers, librarians, counselors, and nurses. Non-auxiliary midpoint employees will receive a 2% general increase based on the midpoint of their assigned pay grade. The package also includes a 4% general increase for auxiliary staff, also based on the midpoint of their pay grade. The substitute rates that were increased during the 2021-22 school year will remain the same.
This means that teachers will receive an increase of $1,250 more than the base pay they earned in the 2021-22 school year, equating to a 2% average general increase. For some employees that means slightly more than 2% and for some employees it means slightly less than 2%.
“In Northside, we value our employees and know they are one of the reasons this is a special place but we must also exercise sound fiscal responsibility. What was approved was the best balance we could find between doing our best for employees while trying to get even reasonably close to a balanced budget,” says Dr. Brian Woods, Superintendent. “That particular compensation package pushed our projected budget deficit for next year from $53 million to $73 million.”
Northside remains one of the top-paying districts in the San Antonio area. The starting pay for teachers is the highest at $57,590. Some districts have quoted a higher percentage of increases for some of their employee groups just to “catch up” or stay reasonably close to the top-paying districts.
The Board and Superintendent understand the past two years have been difficult on everyone but are committed to supporting employees with the resources that are available. They will continue to advocate for increased state support for teacher salaries and strive to continue to be the “destination district” for our families and employees.
“We are a family in Northside and as a family, the Board wishes we could do more for all our employee groups,” says Karen Freeman, Board President. “Unfortunately, more resources are needed from the state level to make that happen.”