Waco Independent School District will tap into funds from a recent school sale to help boost teacher and staff compensation by $4.8 million in the coming school year.
The compensation package that Waco ISD trustees approved Thursday includes a 2% raise for teachers and administrators and a 4% raise for auxiliary staff and paraprofessionals. In addition, all employees will receive a $500 bonus in December.
Salaries for first-year certified teachers will increase by $1,000 to $55,000, while other teachers will see an increase of $400 to $500, according to slides presented to Waco ISD trustees.
That’s on top of the state-funded salary increases of $1,000 to $2,500 that teachers with certain experience levels will receive under House Bill 2, the state education bill passed in 2025.
“Waco ISD is highly competitive right now, and we’re on a mission to keep our people, we want to keep our people, and we want them to be happy,” said Ronnita Carridine, assistant superintendent of human resources at Waco ISD.
The decision comes amid the summer rush to recruit teachers. Waco ISD pay is on the high end for area school districts, the Texas Tribune School Explorer shows, but other districts are moving ahead.
Midway ISD and China Spring ISD recently approved 2% teacher pay increases.
Waco ISD began working on its compensation plan in November, with plans to use some of the $32.2 million the district received from the sale of Indian Spring Middle School to the city of Waco for redevelopment.
The compensation plan trustees approved Thursday is separate from a long-term proposal by Board President Angelo Ochoa this month to set aside the bulk of the Indian Spring windfall as an endowment to fund incentives for top-performing educators. Trustees have yet to consider any formal proposal for such a fund.
This year’s 4% raise for non-faculty staff includes paraprofessionals, who are often the lowest paid staff members. The district opted to give them the highest pay raise to show its appreciation.
“It’s important that they know that not only are you an essential worker, not only are you necessary for this work that we’re doing, but we just appreciate you,” Carridine said.
“We were really fighting for this because sometimes the underdog, they don’t always get the glory, they don’t always get the acknowledgement that they deserve. And so there’s a deep love and an affinity for our paraprofessionals and our auxiliary workers who help us keep all of our schools running, because when we’re not here, they keep it going.”
The district offered pay raises last year, including a teacher pay increase of more than 8%. Carridine said has seen its retention rate improve along with pay, and she said the district hopes to continue that momentum.
“It helps with decreasing our turnover rate, because the more you pour into them, the more willing they are to stay, the longer hours they’re willing to put in,” Carridine said. “But I think when you pay people, it’s like a promise, it’s that commitment, you know we hear you and we see you.”
In addition, aides, teacher substitutes and nurse substitutes will see a pay increase.
Also last week, trustees approved $2.55 million for new police vehicles, warehouse equipment, technology and transportation.
