Teachers to get pay raise after FWISD trustees approve new budget

Fort Worth - In an assertive financial maneuver, Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD) trustee, Anael Luebanos, has declared conditional support for an imbalanced budget for the 2023-24 school year, along with a robust call for improved student outcomes.

Luebanos, together with five other board members, endorsed a sizable budget exceeding $1 billion on June 27th, bearing a noticeable $45 million general fund shortfall. Trustees Michael Ryan and Kevin Lynch expressed their dissent through negative votes, while trustee Wallace Bridges strategically opted for abstention.

The general fund budget, vital for the district's daily operations, boldly proposes spending more than $846.8 million, a sum significantly larger than the expected revenue of $801.5 million. The resulting gap between the proposed expenditure and the achievable income forms the crux of the deficit issue.

In an effort to offset the deficit, Fort Worth ISD intends to tap into its substantial reserves, a total of $338 million. Despite the differences in their voting patterns, Luebanos and Lynch agreed on the crucial necessity for a balanced budget in the upcoming 2024-25 school year.

“At the end of the day, as a trustee, I am going to hold the superintendent accountable for the scores. We’re approving this budget because we want our students to succeed,” Luebanos said, as reported by Fort Worth Report.

The current academic success rates within Fort Worth ISD will remain unclear until later this fall. The district awaits the release of student scores on the state's standardized test. A positive trend was noted in 2021, as student performance on these tests bounced back to pre-pandemic levels after a worrying dip in the years before 2020.

In a concurrent vote, the trustees greenlit a $23 million compensation package, featuring an elevated base salary of $62,000 for new teachers and a general pay raise of $1,925 for veteran staff members.

This package also grants a 3% salary hike for most employees, while those at the executive level are set to receive a more restrained 2% raise. Newly introduced stipends, amendments to specific benefits, and acknowledgment of work experience for certain professions like nursing and trades are additional components of this package.

Nevertheless, the compensation plan did not garner unanimous support, as evidenced by a 5-3 vote. Trustees Quinton Phillips, Camille Rodriguez, and Lynch registered their opposition by voting against it, while Luebanos opted to abstain.

Despite acknowledging some positive aspects of the compensation alterations, Lynch highlighted the crucial role of financial stability for Fort Worth ISD, noting that the salary increases account for over half of the deficit.

“Fundamentally for me, I want to see a balanced budget. I like some of the things we’re doing for some of the people in the district, but I think we need to be willing to make some concessions as a district, too,” Lynch said.

The upcoming key step in the Fort Worth ISD budget process is the review and setting of the new property tax rate, a decision slated for determination by the trustees on August 22nd.

Content source: Dallas Metro News, Fort Worth Report, Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD)