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San Benito CISD officer urges higher pay to retain campus officers

5956298 · October 16, 2025
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Summary

A San Benito CISD police officer asked the school board to raise compensation after the district lost three officers to higher-paying departments and current pay was described as below comparable districts.

A San Benito CISD police officer urged the Board of Trustees to review campus law-enforcement pay, saying low wages are driving officers to other districts and hurting retention.

Officer Steven Rodriguez, who identified himself as a member of the San Benito CISD Police Department, addressed the board during public comment and said the department lost three officers in the past year and a half to other districts that offered better pay. “If we truly value the safe learning environment, we must also value those who protect it,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez described duties that extend beyond law enforcement to mentoring students and staffing games and events. He said his current base pay is about $38,574 and that his best year total compensation in 2023 was $51,039.80, which he said required roughly 489.75 hours of overtime to reach. He said comparable districts within a 20–30 minute drive offered higher base salaries without extensive overtime, and that the district’s difficulty in competing for officers has translated into departures.

Rodriguez framed the request as a retention and recruitment issue rather than a criticism of staff, saying the officers who stay do so out of commitment to students. He asked the board to consider compensation that would help retain experienced officers and attract new ones.

Board President Dr. Ariel Cruz Vela thanked Rodriguez after his remarks. The superintendent, Alfredo Perez, was present during the public-comment period; the board did not take an immediate action on compensation during the meeting.

Rodriguez said he and fellow officers will continue to raise the issue at future board meetings.