Datasets:

---

Recag

/

Rp_CommonC_107

like 0

ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/LISD-board-approves-budget-will-revisit-pay-14063974.php\nLISD board approves budget, will revisit pay raises for teachers, professionals in Novemeber\nBy Lisa Dreher, LMTonline.com / Laredo Morning Times\nPublished 11:19 am CDT, Monday, July 1, 2019\nLaredo ISD Superintendent Dr. Sylvia Rios, other administrators and members of the district’s Communications Department visited Heights Elementary Tuesday, August 29, 2017, to launch a district-wide monetary drive that will be presented to the American Red Cross for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Heights Elementary Principal Adriana Padilla and a group of fifth grade students made the initial contribution.\nLaredo ISD Superintendent Dr. Sylvia Rios, other administrators and members of the district’s Communications Department visited Heights Elementary Tuesday, August 29, 2017, to launch a district-wide monetary\nPhoto: Cuate Santos/Laredo Morning Times\nThe LISD Board of Trustees approved an approximate $226 million budget and told teacher union members that it will readdress its recent pay raises after employees have said the increases are not enough compared to other districts.\nREAD MORE: Three LISD schools make national honor roll\n\"(We can) bring it back with more numbers when we get the whole thing in November to make an adjustment if we need to if we can do that,\" LISD Board President Hector Garcia said.\nThe board voted unanimously on the budget 6-0, with newly appointed Trustee Minita Ramirez absent. It also approved upping the paraprofessionals' recently approved pay raise from 5% to 6%.\nLaredo United Texas State Teachers Association members spoke during the public session and asked the board for higher raises from LISD after it approved raises earlier this month.\n\"Your best teachers will do it no matter what you pay them,\" Reed said. \"If they are committed and determined, they will always be there to look out for the best interest of the child. All I ask is you go over the numbers again. We all are here to just be better at what we do. Thank you for your help.\"\nThe Texas Legislature this session passed a historical education finance bill, House Bill 3, totaling $11.6 billion which includes funding for mandated pay increases for district employees and district programs.\nYet LISD and other district officials have said they still await the official numbers from the state since districts do not know exactly what they will receive and how to legally use those funds under the recently passed law.\nLISD Chief Financial Officer Flor Ayala said the district expects to have all the bill's rules finalized by around November.\n\"Our school has exercised good faith efforts to estimate funding under HB3 with readily available data,\" Ayala said in an email to LMT. \"Once all rules are finalized, we will perform financial tests to ensure compliance with HB3.\"\nThe teacher raises ranged from $2,500 to $2,800 and a 5% raise for professionals, paraprofessionals and administrators for 2019-2020.\nAs of Thursday, the paraprofessionals' pay increase is now 6%, while professionals' pay increases stay the same.\nGarcia said the board can look at pay raises again but needs to know the bill's regulations first.\n\"We still don't know exactly the language because it's still coming in,\" Garcia said. \"We do hear you. Every comment that you had, we do discuss it prior to coming in here, because those are our concerns, 'Why this, not that?' We do guarantee that we will be going back and looking after we know what exactly is going on.\"\nThe board also approved increasing the district's monthly contribution to the health insurance, from $390.50 to $475 per employee. This nearly $85 increase gives employees $1,014 more yearly.\nAda Gonzalez is a member of the local Texas State Teacher Association union and a Bruni Elementary teacher.\nShe spoke during the public hearing session and asked the board to increase the teacher raises from $2,800 to $3,800 and keep the increased health insurance contribution.\n\"Teachers are living from paycheck to paycheck, and in many cases, taking on a second job to supplement their salaries,\" Gonzalez said. \"The cost of living in Laredo is high. Most of us who own homes have seen an increase in their appraisal values. Those who rent have seen a jump in their monthly rates.\"\nTrustee Ricardo Garza said the board ensures employees are fairly compensated every year and ensures the district runs efficiently on what money it has.\nREAD MORE: Laredo ISD approves $3M in raises\n\"For me personally, you all deserve the best and you should be compensated for the work you do,\" Garza said. \"We're not a cheap school district by any means, but we sure know how to stretch a penny. We still have some work to do, and we go department by department in figuring out where that waste is so we can turn it around, save that money and it goes right back to you.\"\nThe bill, House Bill 3, states 30% of what districts receive in additional state funds must go toward pay raises.\nAbout 75% of that must go toward pay increases for teachers, while the rest goes toward other staff excluding administrators.\nTSTA President Rene De La Vina said during the meeting TSTA and its lawyers spoke with LISD Superintendent Sylvia Rios and other district officials about the 5% for administrators.\nDe La Vina said the pay increases for administrators cannot be used under the 30% set aside for pay raises and believed the district budgeted it that way.\n\"You have a $1 million that they were using to pay their administrators right now that you could use to give a better salary for the paraprofessional,\" he said.\nYet Ayala said the conversation about the administrator pay raises was a misunderstanding, since the 5% pay raise for administrators comes from other district funds rather than the state money for teachers and all other staff, so the district is still in compliance with HB3.\n\"The conversation we were having was taken out of context, and my mind was stuck in a certain area, and then I did clarify it,\" she said.\nTSTA members have also said although teachers get about $1,020 more for health insurance, it is unfair for teachers without health insurance who will only get the $2,500 increase or so.\nGarcia said he has heard this complaint from other teachers, and that he and the board will reassess the pay raises to ensure those without health insurance are properly compensated.\n\"I know some people brought it up with teachers who get a pay raises but don't have insurance,\" he said. \"We're going to see what the language is to do this, because I think it's wrong but we need to see what the law says, and if the law tells us that we can do that, then I guarantee we are going to do that.\"\nWhile overlooking the proposed budget, Trustee Jose Valdez asked Ayala why about $1 million leftover upon closing the previous fiscal year could not go toward employee raises.\nAyala told LMT in an email that leftover money when revenues are greater than expenditures goes before the board to consider using those funds for one-time costs such as school improvements, facility improvements, technology upgrades for students and teachers, classroom equipment and playgrounds.\nValdez also said the board should look for reasons to give employees leftover money rather than why it should not due to budget constraints.\n\"You need to find the reason to do something, not the reason why you cannot do something,\" Valdez said. \"I know that it's not easy to make these kinds of changes, but it takes courage. The resources are there.\"\nGarcia said the district has consistently been careful and smart with its budget, as recognized by the Texas Education Agency.\n\"We still don't know exactly the language because it's still coming in,\" he said. \"I think we've done a good job with the budget as of now.\"\nBoard members said once the bill's rules are finalized, the board will surely revisit the pay raises again.\n\"I do want to assure all the teachers and all the staff who are here that we're looking at the budget,\" Rios said.\nHB3 also includes funding for property tax relief and helping reduce the district's reliance on the recapture system.\nUnder this system, property-wealthy districts such as Austin ISD send money to the state to be redistributed to poorer districts.\nThe district also approved a smaller total tax rate compared to last year, from $1.4665 to $1.3965.\nJJ Torres, a TSTA member and Cigarroa High School teacher, said he has worked for LISD for nearly 22 years and believes the board and employees can work together to find a solution for the pay raises.\nREAD MORE: The best, worst elementary schools in Webb County in 2019, according to Children at Risk\n\"Given the struggles the district is facing, with meeting the federal and state standards and the desires and wants of the parents and children, I'm of the opinion the board is doing the best they can,\" he said. \"If (employees and the board) can do it, let's do it.\""