Harlandale ISD will raise salaries, add middle school softball and baseball

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The Harlandale Independent School District board of trustees voted on the next school year’s budget Wednesday.

The budget changes will include an increase in salaries, wages, and stipends in addition to adding new support staff and sports programs to middle school PE classes.

Starting teacher salaries will increase to $55,500 and current teachers will see a raise based on current salary and years of service completed at the end of 2021. Teachers who have worked in the district from one to 10 years will see a 3% raise, 11 to 20 years will see a 3.5% raise and 21 years or more will see a 4% increase.

Paraprofessional and classified employees will be paid at least $13 per hour, and district officials said pay grade pay ranges will be adjusted accordingly. The district said a general pay increase of 3% will be implemented on the new paygrade midpoint for the upcoming school year.

Administrative and professional personnel will get a general pay increase of 3% as a percentage of the employee’s pay grade midpoint for the upcoming school year according to the district.

A $600 retention stipend was approved for all eligible employees and will be paid in two installments in December and May 2022. The stipend amount will be reassessed in October. CTE districts in the district will see stipends increase from $1,500 to $7,000 for all CTE-designated courses. Librarian stipends will increase from $1,000 to $3,000.

The district also approved a Teacher Attendence Incentive that will reward eligible teachers with a $1,000 bonus at the end of their contract for perfect attendance. $100 will be deducted from the bonus each day a teacher is absent.

The board voted to add one response to intervention teachers to each elementary school in the district for a total of 13 teachers. 27 multi-classroom leaders will be added at elementary and secondary schools to provide instructional coaching, professional development and to assist with planning, the district said.

The board voted to add softball and baseball to physical education classes for 7th and 8th-grade students to help prepare them to play in high school.