TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: Video above from Feb. 2022.
Through the approval of the district's budget Monday night, Tyler ISD trustees approved a drop in the property tax rate and raise in pay for employees.
The new school year budget will be more than $169.5 million, which includes a net funding increase of about $3.1 million. The funding increase comes from district property tax growth.
The Texas Legislature will increase a portion of school funding while compressing property tax rates. The district’s maintenance and operation tax rate will drop from $.9541 per $100 of taxable value to $.8793, with the district’s total tax rate falling from $1.2891 per $100 of taxable value to $1.1793.
This total includes the district’s interest and sinking rate, which decreased by 3.5 cents alone. The taxpayers will vote on this during the bond elections.
“The School Board and District administration feel we’re at a point to where we could go deep in reducing the rate side the school system is responsible for; we presented our 2022 Bond as such and are proud we can go further than promised, reducing the debt rate side past the one penny we committed this past spring,” Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said.
Tyler ISD will have a net increase of about 11.7 percent in taxable value across the area. This area covers the city of Tyler and large portions of Smith County.
“While the taxable value increased a little over 10 percent, school systems don’t realize all of it as they are capped per statute,” Crawford said. “Even though we’re inside of this inflationary spike, because of how we manage our fiscal program, we can still comfortably live within our means, not reduce student-related programming, and provide our teachers and staff with compensation increases as we have done for a decade or so.”
The state's portion of the funding is about 34.8 percent of the district's budget, and the local portion is about 64.1 percent.
The increased funds will also allow Tyler ISD to raise teacher pay, expand safety and security measures across the district.
New teachers' pay will increase from $48,750 to $50,000. Teachers with one to five years of experience will receive $1,500 raises, those with six years of experience will receive a $1,250 raise, and teachers with seven to 39 years of experience will receive $456. Teachers with more than 40 years of service are capped.
A 2 percent midpoint salary increase will be given to administrative and professional staff. Annualized hourly staff, paraprofessionals, and manual trades will get a 3 percent of midpoint raise. Registered nurses will also get a base increase to $50,000.
Minimum and maximum pay for positions will also be increased. Minimum base hourly rate will be $12. Bus drivers and mechanics will be given 2 percent of midpoint raises.