Belton ISD board adopts 2025–26 compensation plan, raises teachers' starting pay to $55,000

The Belton Independent School District Board of Trustees adopted a 2025–26 compensation plan on July 21, 2025, approving a package the district says will cost about $4.5 million in local funds. District administrators told trustees the proposal raises the teacher starting salary to $55,000 and provides additional increases based on years of experience: $600 for years 1–2, $2,500 for years 3–4, and $5,000 for year 5 and above. Paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff were recommended to receive a $0.50-per-hour raise, administrators a 1% increase, and school nutrition staff a $1 per hour increase funded from nutrition program revenue, not local funds. The compensation plan was presented by Todd Schiller, assistant superintendent for human resources, who described the proposed structure and the local cost estimate. The board discussed the plan after an in-depth workshop earlier that day; trustees and the superintendent cited statewide funding uncertainty and recent local budget reductions as background for a cautious approach. Superintendent Doctor Golden and several trustees praised the plan as a responsible step given projected funding shortfalls. Trustees noted the district has already cut roughly $12 million from expenditures over the past 18 months and lost nearly $2 million in federal funding during that same period. The board recorded a 6–0 recorded vote to adopt the compensation plan. The board and administration described implementation details: the district will cover the described local cost from general funds and other revenue sources, and the school nutrition increase will be paid from the nutrition enterprise fund. Trustees said they expect to revisit compensation in future years as state funding becomes clearer. No changes to the district's salary schedules beyond those described were recorded in the meeting minutes. The motion to adopt the plan passed with a 6–0 vote.