KYLE — The Hays CISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the district’s compensation plan and budget for the 2024-25 school year at its June 24 meeting.

At the June 17 agenda review, Chief Human Resources Officer Christina Courson presented the Hays CISD compensation plan. She began by discussing the cost-of-living adjustments that the district has done in the past, which, from 2020, have been an average of 4.8%. This year, Courson stated that the district is going to be “a little more reserved than we have done in the past” by proposing a 1% pay increase in cost of living for those who are teachers, librarians, nurses and counselors, which would be a $1.1 million cost for the district. Other employees that do not fall in that category, such as special education paraprofessionals, have a budget of approximately $508,000 to make salary adjustments, specifically in the “four bands AU4, PP4, PP6I and PP6S,” Courson said.

The total payroll estimate is $209,720,968, according to Courson.

There is also a new position planned for a speech language pathologist assistant in the special education department, which trustee Johnny Flores was enthusiastic about, due to the support it will add for students.

“Competition budget is hard,” said trustee Byron Severance. “We’re having to get creative. Are we going to get everything that we’d like to do? Probably not. Have we been pretty thoughtful for what we’re doing with what we’ve got? I’d say yeah.”

At the June 24 meeting, the board voted 6-0 to approve the 2024-25 compensation plan detailing pay and new positions, as well as the school year budget. Trustee Geoff Seibel was not in attendance.

The following are highlights of the approvals:

• 1% raise for teachers, librarians, nurses and counselors

• $2,000 stipend for teachers, librarian and nurses with master’s degrees and a $4,500 stipend for those with a doctorate degree

• $4,500 stipend for counselors with a doctorate degree

• Speech language pathologist assistant position

• Campus support specialist position

• Bond account position

• $336,014,202 in revenue

– $232,250,944 from general fund

– $12,097,886 in food service

– $91,665,372 in debt service

• $342,304,917 in expenditures

– $238,541,659 from the general fund

– $12,097,886 in food service

– $91,665,372 in debt service

• $6,290,715  deficit, all of which is from the general fund

Of the more than $336 million in revenue, $225,111,969 is funded through local sources, such as taxes, tuition (pre-kindergarten and summer school), facility rental, extracurricular activities and more, while $99,705,623 is from the state and $11,196,610 from federal sources.

Although a deficit is never wanted, trustee Vanessa Petrea stated that it was originally at $16 million and the district was able to lessen it by $10 million to its current $6,290,715.

“I want to say for anyone here and those listening, there is nothing more important to this board and the administration than the well-being of our staff and our students. Nobody likes taking anything away. Nothing. We lose sleep over it. It affects everybody as it does on the campus level, but we also have to make hard decisions when we look at things and how we academically support our kids and how we move forward,” said trustee Courtney Runkle. “These are changes that have not been decided lightly.”

The board will meet next on July 22.