By Megan Wehring
HAYS COUNTY – Hays CISD administration recommended for the Board to approve an amended compensation plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
The Hays CISD Board of Trustees previously approved the plan in June to give all employees a 2% salary increase. Administration brought back an amended plan at the Sept. 21 Board agenda workshop, recommending for all salaries to be increased by an additional 1% for a total of 3%.
“We want to make sure our employees feel like we appreciate them,” said Marivel Sedillo, chief human resources officer, “We know that our teachers are working super hard, but not just our teachers. Every single employee is working super hard right now under the current constraints and challenges that we have.”
Other items in the compensation plan include: retention incentive of $250 in December and May for custodial and child nutrition workers; an increased bus driver minimum pay to $17.01 per hour; and an increased guest teacher rate by $5 daily.
Sedillo said applications for substitute teachers are down by 82% and she hopes an additional pay increase will bring in more guest teachers to the classroom.
“I know that our teachers are concerned,” Sedillo said. “I know that our community is probably super concerned about when teachers have to take a day off or they get sick. It’s going to be really hard to recruit and retain our substitute teachers.”
When it comes to employee pay, the district needs to consider living wages and market value, according to Board President Esperanza Orosco.
“We are never going to be able to pay people their worth,” Orosco said. “We can not pay teachers their worth, we can not pay our auxiliary staff their worth because we don’t have billions and billions of dollars. But if we can make some kind of adjustment to really help get our people where they need to be, I think that will be amazing.”
Under the compensation plan, any employee that recruits and refers a person to join Hays CISD will be given a $50 referral incentive. If that employee stays with the district for six continuous months, an additional $50 will be provided.
“We would like to recognize the power of those who love working in Hays CISD and really capitalize on that influence,” Sedillo said.
The amended compensation plan will go before the Hays CISD Board for voting on Sept. 28.
