The Ector County Independent School District board approved the 2025–26 compensation plan on June 17, which implements state‑mandated teacher pay increases under House Bill 2 and provides a general adjustment for other staff.

Why it matters: Compensation changes affect recruitment and retention across the district and respond to legislative requirements for teacher pay adjustments.

Under the plan, teachers with three to four years of experience will receive a $2,500 increase and teachers with five or more years will receive a $5,000 increase, reflecting the district’s interpretation of state House Bill 2 for districts of this size. The district also proposed a 2 percent general pay increase for non‑teacher employees.

The board heard additional details: the entry salary for a 0‑year teacher for 2024–25 is listed at $60,600 and was adjusted upward; the 3–4 year teacher increase represents roughly a 4 percent bump for those groups, and teachers with five or more years average a larger increase (presenter estimated about a little over 7 percent for that cohort on average). To address recruitment shortages, especially for bus drivers, the district increased the bus-driver starting wage from $21.25 per hour to $26 per hour and eliminated the previous retention stipend by folding the pay into base salary. Paraprofessional, auxiliary and clerical minimums rose from $15.15 to $15.50 per hour.

Staff also noted the district continues to maintain stackable supplemental compensation programs for high‑performing teachers; more than 44 teachers surpassed $100,000 in total salary in the most recent calculations presented.

What’s next: The compensation plan was approved by voice vote. Human resources and pay‑roll staff will begin implementing the adjustments for the 2025–26 fiscal year.