In a move to streamline operations and eliminate what they call "inefficiencies," Houston ISD is set to cut various extra work stipends for employees in the 2024-25 academic year, a district document reveals. HISD's proposed compensation plan indicated changes that would see the removal or lowering of stipends up to $2,500 for underlying duties such as mentoring and sponsoring extracurricular activities. Released early March, the report outlines the salary structures alongside eligible stipends for district employees.
Stipends for roles like academic coaches, teacher mentors, and extracurricular sponsors such as speech and debate, are among those named to get the ax. During an earlier news conference this month, HISD’s chief human resources officer, Jessica Neyman, justified the move by saying, "Our expectation is that professionals go above and beyond in a high-performance culture" According to the Houston Chronicle, Neyman described the previous system as laden with "barnacles" and insisted on the necessity for a "cleaned up" approach. With a compensation manual still pending approval from the Board of Managers, the revised protocol, if enacted, will take effect starting July 1.
On the flip side, Houston ISD is also looking to bump up base salaries for certain school faculty, an initiative that contrasts the stipend reductions. As per Community Impact, teachers at New Education System (NES) schools, a reform initiative under Superintendent Mike Miles, stand to make $10,000-$20,000 more annually compared to colleagues in non-NES schools. The pay scale figures range from $64,000 at the elementary level to $96,000 for high school teachers in the NES category. The compensation plan also raises the base minimum salary for non-NES school teachers from $61,500 to $64,000 and ensures all district employees earn at least $15 an hour.
However, amidst these sweeping changes, certain stipends notably endure. Stipends for coaching UIL sports or directing UIL Fine Arts activities remain untouched. "Those are the same people who transport students on weekends and stay many hours after school for long practices, and really expand the experience educationally for students," said Neyman, emphasizing the district's commitment to preserving rewards for these key roles, as conveyed to the Houston Chronicle. Athletic coaches at the middle and high school levels will also keep their stipends, with figures like $10,000 for a high school football head coach remaining standard.
The district's adjustments underline a shift in HISD’s priorities, with a focus on foundational compensation over incentivizing additional undertakings. The board of managers is slated to weigh in on this proposed compensation plan come June, which, if approved, will signal a new fiscal direction for the district's forthcoming school year.
