It's the end of the school year and there is a certain energy of excitement you'll find across Duncanville Independent School District.
In addition to wrapping up classes, teachers and staff are soaking in some good news.
“Our staff is always excited whenever they are getting an increase for what they do, for what they absolutely love to do,” Chief Human Resources Director of Duncanville ISD Kathleen Brown said.
The new compensation plan for the 2022-2023 school year includes a $57,000 starting salary for beginning teachers. Other instructors will receive a 6.6% increase in pay from the midpoint (that equates to about a $4,000 raise). All other staffers across the district will get a 4% increase from the midpoint.
Brown said the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees also approved a loyalty stipend for those who’ve worked in the district for a long time.
“In Duncanville, we pride ourselves on a family environment. So, if you’ve been loyal to Duncanville for 15 years or more at the end of this school year, you’ll get an additional $2,000 stipend,” Brown added.
The new compensation plan will also offer extra pay for those skilled in what the district calls hard-to-staff positions.
“You can get up to $12,000 between signing bonuses and stipends. And those are things like bilingual educators, special education teachers in certain areas. Math, secondary math, secondary science, EOC,” said Brown.
Teacher pay increases have recently been approved in other North Texas school districts like Highland Park ISD and Plano ISD. Lancaster ISD could also consider a similar plan later this month.
“Right after the board meeting, the next morning, our numbers went up, as for people who have initiated applications with the district. So, we are very excited about that,” Brown added.
Administrators said there are signs Duncanville ISD’s new compensation plan is already helping with recruiting and retention.