JACKSONVILLE, Texas — Jacksonville Independent School District announced Monday that its employees will be receiving the highest pay raise in the district's history for the 2019/2020 fiscal year.
According to the districts' press release, during a monthly meeting with the JISD Board of Trustees, Lindy Finley who is the associate superintendent of business and finance outlined the newly adopted budget.
Within that budget, teachers with five-plus years of teaching experience will receive a $7,500 pay raise starting in September. While teachers with less than 5 years will see a $7,000 increase averaging 16.76% pay increase per teacher.
All JISD auxiliary and para-professional staff will get a 10% raise and administrators a 7% increase of the mid-point of their pay grade. School leaders say without House Bill 3, these raises would not have been possible.
"We were looking at a very different scenario before HB3 passed," Finley said. "I can honestly say that this has been the most fun I've had when setting the budget as I'm usually looking for things to cut and not things to add!"
School leaders and board trustees say it was important all staff members and teachers got this pay raise.
“We value each and every employee, and the jobs they do to keep JISD a successful district," Superintendent Dr. Chad Kelly said. "We see so many staff members giving above and beyond what their job description may outline. To say we have a dedicated staff is an understatement."
The pay raise will be more than the state requirement.
“We now are able to offer a $44,000 starting salary to a first-year teacher, and that puts JISD in a much better light for recruiting great teachers to Jacksonville. This is a game-changer for us,” associate superintendent of Personnel, Brad Stewart, said. "We are now above or in the range of most districts for a starting salary, therefore a viable option for those first-year teachers.”
Superintendent Dr. Kelly says these pay raises will be beneficial to both teachers and students.
“When students build relationships with teachers, and teachers get to know and care about those students, the climate on our campuses is amazing to witness," Kelly said. "We hear over and over again from students that JISD is more like a family, and they can feel how much their teachers care about them, both scholastically and personally."
The district says they currently employ about 900 employees, whose pay raises were long overdue.
"These salary increases for our worthy staff are long overdue, and truly is the most exciting matter I have been involved with in my 26 years in education," Kelly said. "We are grateful to Senator Nichols and Representative Clardy for their continued support of public education by passing House Bill 3."
