Canyon ISD trustees honor superintendent's request to decline a salary raise; approve $2,500 annual retirement contribution instead

The Canyon ISD Board of Trustees approved a modest adjustment to the superintendent's benefits package on Aug. 25 after the superintendent asked not to receive a salary increase for 2025–26.

What happened: the district's compensation committee recommended honoring the superintendent's decision to decline a salary increase and instead proposed a $2,500 annual increase to his retirement contribution. Trustees approved the committee recommendation by voice vote.

Why it matters: the superintendent told trustees he had requested earlier that any salary increase not be applied to his position given the district's financial circumstances. The $2,500 adjustment — described by the committee as less than 1% of his annual salary — was presented as a way for the board to express appreciation without creating a public appearance of awarding a raise during a year with a projected budget shortfall.

What trustees said: the board recorded the motion and second, and then took a unanimous voice vote to adopt the committee's recommendation. The superintendent thanked the board and reiterated his view that a salary increase was not appropriate given the district's projected deficit.

Next steps: Human Resources and payroll staff will implement the retirement contribution change and report back on the effective date and accounting treatment.