Judson board approves staff-support allocation, adds 1.5% midpoint raise for nonadministrative staff

The Judson Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a plan to apply the state Staff Support Retention Allotment (SSRA) and local funds to raise nonadministrative staff pay, approving a 1.5% midpoint increase for eligible staff and using remaining SSRA funds to offset part of the local cost. The motion was made by Trustee Kenoyer and seconded by Trustee Macias; the chair announced the measure passed. The board and district staff warned the plan will require additional local funding beyond the state allotment to cover employer benefit costs.

District leaders said the new state law provides specific teacher retention allotments (a $5,000 payment for eligible experienced teachers and $2,500 for certain mid-tenure teachers) but that the SSRA is separate and is intended for other staff who do not have supervisory duties. Superintendent Dr. Fields and Finance staff briefed the board on several distribution scenarios for the roughly $830,000 in SSRA dollars the district…