School district budget includes raises for employees

Mansfield ISD’s Board of Trustees approved the 2023-24 budget at its regular meeting June 27. The budget adoption includes the following salary increases for employees:

-- Teachers, librarians and nurses will receive a 4 percent of midpoint increase, and recommended pay adjustments from the Texas Association of School Boards pay study.

-- All other employees will receive an increase of 4 percent of their pay grade's midpoint. All compensation manuals will be updated on the Human Resources webpage by Aug. 1.

-- Minimum hourly wage will increase to $15 per hour.

-- Starting teacher pay will increase to $63,000 per year.

While the board approved the new budget, the Texas Legislature is now going into a second special session without enacting any increases in the required basic allotments.

"It was really important for us to go ahead and take care of our staff compensation plan, even in the midst of the ongoing special sessions and school finance uncertainty," said Superintendent Kimberley Cantu. "We care about our dedicated employees, and we wanted to let them know what to expect in the new school year so they can prepare and have something to look forward to."

Associate Superintendent of Business and Finance Michele Trongaard said every decision regarding the budget was made with students and the district's Vision 2030 strategic plan in mind.

Mansfield ISD's 2023-24 general operating budget totals $368.7 million. The budget includes $223.5 million for instruction and instructional resources, $6.8 million for security and $7.2 million for technology. Debt service is $76.4 million. The budget for student nutrition, which is not funded through local tax dollars, was approved for $22.6 million. The district continues to monitor the special legislative session and the potential impact on school funding.

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