EPISD teachers to receive 6 percent pay raise
Teachers in the El Paso Independent School District will see an average salary increase of 6 percent in the upcoming 2019-20 academic year as part of a compensation package that was approved by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
Starting teachers with zero years of experience will earn $50,556 starting in August, up from $48,300 during the school year that ended in May. All other teachers will see an average increase of 6 percent from their base salary.
Trustees also approved a 5 percent salary increase from the mid-point for all other employees in the District. Part of the compensation package is a winter stipend of $750 for eligible full-time employees and a potential $500 spring stipend that is contingent on fund availability and Board approval.
“EPISD is committed to ensuring that we recruit and retain high-quality educators, and this compensation package strengthens our resolve to provide salaries that help us reach our goals,” Superintendent Juan E. Cabrera said. “The District has worked hard to create a healthy and sustainable financial outlook, and – coupled with changes in the state funding formula – this has allowed us to offer more competitive salaries for our employees.”
The Board on Tuesday voted to amend the 2019-20 budget to reflect an increase of $42.6 million in state funding, which the Texas Legislature earmarked largely to fund salary increases and other academic initiatives.
The compensation package also includes starting salary increases for school nurses and bus drivers. Nurses will see their starting salary will increase to $48,300 from $42,200. Bus driver starting pay will increase to $15 per hour from $10.70 per hour.
The funding from the state also will funnel $13 million into academic and school-safety measures that include the expansion of full-day pre-kindergarten at schools throughout the District, as well as the purchase and update of important radio and safety technology for EPISD’s Police Services.