July 15, 2019
Dear HASA Member,
At the June 27, 2019 district board meeting, trustees passed a $1.9B budget which likely includes a deficit of $15-20MM for 2019-2020 but did not include raises for administrators. The Trustees also identified funding priorities in the event the district receives additional funding from HB3 or from other sources, including fallout. If additional funds become available after the 2019-2020 budget is approved, these are the trustees’ funding priorities:
- Restore the fund balance
- Increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour
- Restore step increases in the Teacher Salary Schedule
- Provide pay increases for all other employees
- Restore cuts to the PUA from the 2018-2019 budget
- Restore department cuts based on amendments to the 2019-2020 budget.
The Board of Trustees also allocated funding to conduct a compensation study and market study for all employees.
Despite not achieving the outcome for which we advocated, the battle is not over. After the June 27th meeting, the HASA Executive Board met and identified three advocacy priorities for 2019-2020. The priorities are Salary, Principal Performance Contract, and Working Conditions. You will learn more about these priorities as the work rolls out. We will begin meeting with the Interim Superintendent in early August. We will also engage the Board of Trustees, the community and local media outlets.
Unfortunately, at the board meeting, the interests of school and central office leaders were subordinated to the interests of teachers and support staff, rather than treated as equally important. The Interim Superintendent and HISD administration recommended a balanced budget that included variable raises from 3.5% to 8% for teachers (and other teacher groups), nurses, librarians, counselors, assistant principals, deans, elementary, middle and high school principals. Additionally, bus drivers would have earned a minimum of $18 an hour. All other employees would have received a 3.5% increase. This increase applied to all other salary and hourly employees, including police officers, cafeteria and custodial staff.
We supported the administration’s budget both in our written communication and at the Hearing of Citizens during the June 27, 2019 Special Board Meeting. Prior to the Special Board Meeting, we reached out to Trustees and the Interim Superintendent. Here is our letter to the Trustees. Here is Trustee Lira’s response to our letter.
We did not oppose raises for support staff. We did not oppose raises for teachers. Instead, we argued that decisions about pay should be based on equity and fairness. We strongly believe community is best developed in an environment where all employees are valued and treated fairly.
During the Hearing of Citizens, we insisted that principal pay should be competitive with surrounding school districts so that HISD can attract and retain quality leaders. Additionally, we implored the Trustees to recognize and reward the key role school-based leaders and central office leaders play in improving student achievement. We reminded the Trustees that the cost of living has gone up for all employees and all employees are deserving of a cost of living raise.
The entire budget process was a lesson on the need for advocacy, the need for alliances, and the need to make our voices heard. If you contacted your Trustee, thank you for participating. If you attended the meeting of the Board of Trustees, thank you for showing up in solidarity on a matter that was of grave importance. If you spoke at the meeting, thank you for lending your powerful voice.
HASA will continue to promote and support a system that values all employees. We will advocate for equity and fairness. We will keep you informed about our ongoing conversations with the Trustees and the Interim Superintendent.
Contact us at 346-254-0254 or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Sincerely,
HASA Executive Board
Josephine Rice, Executive Director
