Gregory-Portland ISD approves raises for 2024-25

The Gregory-Portland ISD Board of Trustees on Monday approved a pay raise and retention stipend for teachers and staff next year.

Teachers, nurses, librarians, paraprofessionals, clerical, technical, auxiliary staff and administrators will all receive a salary increase of 1% of the mid-point salary.

The first-year teacher salary in the district is now $62,000.

All employees will also receive a one-time $2,000 retention stipend.

Gregory-Portland ISD is set to adopt the full 2024-25 budget, including the salary increases and retention stipends, in August.

Gregory-Portland ISD has historically had the highest teacher pay in the Coastal Bend region. This is in part due to tax incentive program that allowed school districts to approve property tax limitations for industrial businesses in return for supplemental payments, resulting in tax savings for the companies and additional revenues for school districts.

That program, known as Chapter 313, has since ended and the replacement program does not allow for supplemental payments.

Since 2016, Gregory-Portland ISD has received about $120 million in payments from industrial entities.

Several Gregory-Portland ISD Chapter 313 agreements are still in effect and will result in additional funds for years to come, but those agreements will eventually expire. The district expects to receive less than $1 million in Chapter 313 supplemental payments starting in 2027-28 and no supplemental payments by about 2033.

At that point, Gregory-Portland ISD will likely face financial conditions more similar to most other school districts in the area.

"It is important for our staff and community to keep in mind that the State Legislature has not provided any meaningful contributions to increase public school funding in recent years that would in any way support or offset substantial payroll costs for school districts or rising economic inflation," Gregory-Portland ISD Superintendent Michelle Cavazos said in a Tuesday news release.

In Gregory-Portland ISD, salaries account for 93% of the annual budget, according to the release.

“Gov. Greg Abbott recently rejected a special session to consider increasing funds for education and we have no reason to believe based on history or present knowledge, that funding support will be coming for public schools," Cavazos said in the release.

Gregory-Portland ISD Board of Trustees President Tim Flinn echoed similar concerns in the news release.

“It’s unfortunate that the state has not provided adequate funding for public school districts, even though I know some legislators who continue to make attempts to bring this item back to the table," Flinn said in the release. "My fellow G-PISD board members and I know a lot of other trustees in districts around the state, and we have heard and seen that more and more are adopting deficit budgets and having to cut back where they can because funding for schools continues to be an issue for all of us."

This week, Corpus Christi ISD approved a 2024-25 budget with a $20 million deficit, at the same time dedicating $4.2 million for teacher and staff raises. The beginning teacher salary in Corpus Christi ISD is $52,500, and staff will receive a 1-3% raise depending on years of experience.

Superintendents and school board leaders from across the region joined with Corpus Christi ISD to form the Coastal Bend Public Education Advocacy Network in the fall, hoping to work together to advocate with lawmakers and state officials for increased funding and other shared priorities.

One program that has received state support is the Teacher Incentive Allotment, which offers additional dollars to teachers based on student growth. Only the top teachers earn a state funded incentive.

In Gregory-Portland ISD, less than a quarter of educators received a TIA incentive, according to the news release. Out of more than 1,000 teachers who attempted to earn a TIA incentive in Corpus Christi ISD over the course of 2022-23, about 300 were successful.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Gregory-Portland ISD approves pay raises