Salary bump announced for all district employees

At their regular July meeting, the Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees approved a new pay scale for professional staff, as well as an acrossthe- board pay increase for hourly staff.

“Market medians were measured among selected school districts that are comparable to SSISD based on location and regional considerations. Dr. Steeber and [Business Manager] Sherry McGraw have been working diligently together on the budget over the past couple of weeks in order to meet the market median pay for SSISD employees,” a press release issued Tuesday morning by SSISD Communications Coordinator Angela Grimes stated.

“In addition to teachers, all other employees will see a 3% raise based on the midpoint amount for individual named positions,” Steeber was quoted in the release. At Monday night’s meeting, Steeber explained that number includes custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, mechanics and plumbers. “Please know that this is a starting point. We recognize the importance of competitive compensation and will continue to work towards better pay and benefits for all employees.”

At the July 10 trustees meeting, SSISD Business Manager Sherry McGraw handed out a 2023 vs. projected 2024 budget expenditures list, which showed an increase of $836,094 specifically related to the increases staff will see on their September paychecks. Professional and paraprofessional staff members, bus drivers and monitors, and hourly district employees will receive an increase as well.

According to the approved 2023-24 teacher pay scale, a brand new incoming teacher will start out at $47,200 for a 187day (10 months) contract. This reflects an increase of $1,200 from the 2022-23 pay scale. A teacher with 30 or more years of experience would earn $62,800 on a 10 month contract. SSISD also includes stipends of $1,000 annually for teachers who have a master’s degree and $2,000 for those who have attained a doctorate.

School counselors are included on the same scale as teachers, but will receive additional stipends of $1,500-$3,000 on top of the salary step for their years of experience. Counselors also work an additional five, 15 or 30 days during the school year based on their assignment to an elementary, middle or high school campus.

District law enforcement officers are paid on a separate 10-month pay schedule, starting at $46,000 and ending at $55,900. Stipends are offered to officers for associate’s ($250) and bachelor’s ($500) degrees, as well as for intermediate ($100), advanced and master peace officer certifications.

These positions are all paid based on 10-month contracts, the length of a typical school year. Most salaried school district employees opt to have their 10 month salary divided over 12 months to ensure they receive a paycheck during the two summer months during which regular classes are not in session. These employees would then bring home a smaller monthly amount because of the additional checks.

The Texas Education Agency sets minimum salaries each school year. Texas school districts are not allowed to pay below these amounts, but they are allowed to pay above them. Most Texas school districts opt to increase their staff salary amounts in order to attract high quality employees.

For the 2022-23 school year, the minimum salary for a first-year teacher in Texas was $33,660, or $2,805 per month over 12 months. The scale was capped at 20 years of experience at $54,540, or $4,545 per 12 months. These amounts are gross salary, before deductions for income tax, mandatory retirement contributions, and health, dental and vision insurance are taken out of their paycheck. Most Texas school districts opt to increase their staff salary amounts in order to attract more high-quality applicants.