WISD approves pay raises for staff, employees

This September, Wimberley ISD employees will notice an increase in their paychecks, thanks to salary raises approved by the WISD Board of Trustees.

At its regular meeting on July 17, the board unanimously approved raises for all employees within the auxiliary and paraprofessional job categories. That move impacts positions including custodians, bus drivers, aides, secretaries, attendance clerks, child nutrition workers and more. The board’s action raised the minimum salaries for many of the job categories — some of them by as much as 25 percent.

Another big increase came for bus drivers. The starting pay rate for this position was increased by 8.5 percent to $19.25 per hour. All auxiliary and paraprofessional staff members across the district will receive a 3 percent increase of their pay grade’s new midpoint or have their pay rate increased to the new, higher minimum rate for their position, whichever is greater for each staff member.

Following that move, at a special budget workshop on Aug. 7, the board approved a 3 percent salary increase for all teaching and professional positions in the district. The pay raises are expected to further solidify WISD’s competitiveness among other districts in the region, according to the district. When considering 2022– 2023 salary data from other area districts, Wimberley’s average teacher salary is 100.2 percent of the regional average teacher salary.

“In a time of limited resources being allocated to public education in Texas, I am grateful to our Board of Trustees for aggressively supporting this much needed action,” said WISD Superintendent Greg Bonewald, Ph.D.

The cumulative effect of the two separate employee pay raises played a role in the WISD Board adopting a deficit budget for the 2023–2024 fiscal year during its Aug. 21 regular meeting.

Rising operational costs and stagnant state funding levels have made the adoption of deficit budgets the norm for many Central Texas districts, according to the district. This is the case in part because the state of Texas has not raised the per student allotment — the funding amount the state’s public schools receive per student — since 2019.

Bonewald said he hopes the state legislature will rectify this problem if, as expected, a special session is called this fall to address school funding.

“It’s not possible to operate our district in 2023 at 2019 funding levels while simultaneously paying our staff members competitive salaries,” Bonewald explained. “When you add on other legislative requirements that come with little to no additional funding, we find ourselves in the position we are in now: unable to balance our budget.”

“While we would love to be able to adopt a balanced budget, the board is tasked with doing what is right for our district,” WISD Board President Dr. Rob Campbell added. “What’s right for our district is investing in our staff because they are the heart of our district and their dedication should be recognized and rewarded. I believe the board’s action, especially considering the deficit budget we adopted, shows a resounding commitment to retaining our top talent and ensuring the continuation of the high-quality education we provide.”