The Boerne Independent School District will increase pay to $60,000 for its first-year teachers once it gains voter support in November, as the district absorbs $3.81 million from House Bill 2 and expects to adopt a balanced budget later this summer.
BISD board members peppered Chief Financial Officer Wes Scott during Monday’s board meeting with questions and comments on his budget presentation that showed the district possibly achieving a balanced budget for 2024-25.
For 2025-26, the district will provide raises for many teachers, thanks to the anticipated HB2 funding, and despite losing $2.4 million in hold-harmless compression property tax funding from the current fiscal year. They have also budgeted salary increases for auxiliary staff and those who are paid hourly.
Teacher pay is at the forefront of the district’s planning, especially since the district ranked 15th out of 21 surrounding districts in starting teacher pay for 2024, at $55,142.
Scott explained how, through its Competitive and Strategic Financial Plan (CSFP) — which depends upon a Tax Ratification Election (TRE) passing in November — the district will raise starting pay to $60,000, as well as raise paraprofessional pay to $16 per hour, auxiliary position pay to $15 per hour, and increase pay 3% for all other professional employees.
When reviewing a listing of all of the districts in the greater San Antonio area and their teacher pay, Trustee Dallas Pipes stated, “I’m trying to find another A-rated district” on the beginning pay scale ahead of Boerne. Boerne is the only A-rated district in the greater San Antonio area.
Pipes shared, “I’m so thankful for the teachers that are willing to put in the work that it takes to make us an A-rated district, and I think these (salary comparison) numbers, unfortunately, don’t show that.”
Boerne ISD earned its fourth consecutive “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency this spring, solidifying its reputation as one of the top-performing school districts in Texas.
Using HB2 monies, the district will increase teacher pay $2,500 for teachers on steps 3 and 4 of their careers, and $5,000 for teachers with five or more years of teaching experience. About 80% of the Boerne ISD teaching force has been teaching for 5-plus years.
The combination of its CSFP and HB2 means all Boerne ISD teachers could make more than $60,000 next year.
Scott reviewed numbers impacting the budget: an enrollment climb to 11,237; property valuations within the BISD increasing by 5%, to $21.1 billion; taxable property value decreasing due to recent legislative tax relief by 2%, to $12.7 billion; and the district projected to adopt a property tax rate of $0.94841 per $100 of valuation — a $0.0068 decrease from the tax rate levied during the current fiscal year.
Board members noted that even with the addition of three golden pennies, the tax rate will remain lower than it has been in years.
At the same time, Scott talked about the property tax relief brought on by recent legislation. The change includes a homestead exemption increase, from $100,000 to $140,000 for all homeowners.
It also increases, from $10,000 to $60,000, an additional exemption for homeowners 65 years old and older — meaning those over 65 will reap the benefits of a cumulative $200,000 homestead exemption next year.
Despite that decrease in expected taxable income, the district will realize a 5% increase in appraised market value due largely to new home construction and the price tags on those houses.
Board Trustee Rich Sena called Boerne a “do more with less” district, with its 99% graduation rate, A-rated valuation from the state, and lower teacher pay rates. Sena said of the 52 new teachers hired on for next fall, four are from the Northeast School District and four are from Northside School District in San Antonio — commitments made before HB2 and Boerne’s CSFP were announced
“Even though we currently pay less, we’re still attractive” to new hires, Sena said. “And by increasing pay, we’ll be in the driver’s seat.”
Scott reviewed the district’s expected revenues and expenditures for next year, each showing a General Fund bottom line of $116,540,000 in a balanced budget proposal.
When the district’s child nutrition and debt service fund budgets are figured in, the district is still proposing a balanced budget with anticipated expenditures of $157,985,000 matching the same figure on the revenue side.
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