BURTON SCHOOL BOARD HEARS RESULTS OF SALARY SURVEY, PRELIMINARY BUDGET DETAILS

  

The Burton School Board on Tuesday heard the results of a salary survey.

No action was taken, but trustees learned about what Burton ISD teachers and staff members make on average and how they compare to other school districts in the region.  They also heard recommendations for ways the district could bring lower-paid positions more in line with market averages. 

Zachary Hobbs, a member of the Texas Association of School Boards Human Resources Services Department, compared what Burton pays to the median pay of 15 districts in Burton’s market.  The analysis included Brenham, Bellville, Caldwell, Columbus, Dime Box, Fayetteville, Giddings, La Grange, Lexington, Milano, Navasota, Round Top-Carmine, Smithville, Snook and Somerville ISDs.   

According to Hobbs’ presentation, on average, Burton is 9 percent below the market salary rate for teachers new to the profession and 7 percent under the market for teachers with 5 years of experience.  However, the gap begins to close once teachers hit 10 years, with Burton’s salaries falling 4 percent below market, and that drops to just 1 percent below market for teachers with upwards of 15 years of experience.

As a result of Burton’s pay structure, Hobbs said roughly two-thirds of the teachers on the district’s payroll have over 10 years of experience, as the district is able to attract and retain more experienced employees with its competitive pay, but has difficulty in bringing in entry-level teachers. 

Trustees also received information on Burton’s pay for other staff groups.  Central office administration, according to Hobbs, are paid 8 percent below the market rate on average, while professional staff like counselors or coordinators are 2 percent under.  Meanwhile, Burton exceeds the market average in salaries for auxiliary staff at 5 percent above, campus administration at 6 percent above, clerical and technical staff at 7 percent above, and instructional support staff at 17 percent above. 

Hobbs suggested that any adjustments to the salary schedule should be done with the intent to become more competitive for teachers in their earlier years, while also still ensuring that returning employees are paid more than new hires.  One of Hobbs’ proposals included a general pay increase (GPI) of 2 percent or 3 percent, which would bring Burton’s starting salary for a teacher new to teaching up from $43,000 to $44,600 or $45,000.  GPI could also be calculated as a percentage of the local market median salary of $54,383, while for other pay groups beyond teachers, the GPI can be calculated as a percentage of an employee’s pay grade midpoint. 

Following Hobbs’ presentation, Burton ISD Business Manager Caitlyn Blakey-Staal gave the board a brief overview of where the district stands in its budget process for the next school year, though she cautioned that the data thus far is very preliminary.

Currently, the proposed budget for the 2024-25 year is $14.86 million, down from the 2023-24 adopted budget of $15.27 million.  Blakey-Staal said the reduction is due in part to a drop in what the district expects it will have to send back to the state via recapture payment, from $4.5 million in the current budget to $3.85 million in the new one.  The district is still working on getting a closer estimate of the amount it will owe for recapture. 

Blakey-Staal said the salary compensation plan is another piece of the budget that still needs to be finalized.  In addition, the district is waiting on the release of certified property tax values, which she said should be on July 25^th, and the maximum compressed tax rate from the Texas Education Agency, which is expected in early August.