DALLAS — Dallas ISD teachers are about to see higher pay after the district's Board of Trustees approved on Thursday night a new budget for the next school year that includes higher salaries.
Following the new budget's approval, the average teacher compensation at DISD will be nine to 10 percent higher starting next school year. The budget also includes higher starting salaries for new teachers, who will now begin at $60,000-per-year salaries.
Also included in the budget is a higher minimum wage across other DISD jobs, raising that payrate to $15 an hour. Teacher's assistants, community liaisons, nurses, counselors, food services, maintenance and transportation will all see raises, according to the budget.
In all, the increases amount to about an additional $51.2 million in salary increases for the district, along with $52 million in retention incentives.
Those hiring incentives include $2,000 payments that will be made available for new and experienced teachers alike. The incentives can be stackable too, and could be added to other incentives such as a $3,000 bonus for secondary math and science teachers, or $5,000 for elementary bilingual education teachers.
Newly hired teachers would also be reimbursed up to $4,000 for certification program fees, a press release announcing the new budget detailed.
Hiring incentive costs and reimbursements would be absorbed by the district's existing Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, the release added.
The board's hope is that these raises will make Dallas ISD more competitive with other districts when hiring.
The district's next fiscal year will begin July 1.