Harlingen CISD reviews three compensation options as House Bill 2 brings new funds

At a special meeting, Harlingen CISD trustees heard a budget workshop in which district staff outlined a proposed FY2026 compensation plan built around state funding from House Bill 2 and three options for local increases to administrative, clerical and auxiliary pay.

The compensation presentation said House Bill 2 will add targeted allotments — including teacher retention funding, a basic cost allotment (ABC), a support‑staff allotment and a school safety allotment — that together the district projects will bring roughly $8.4 million into next year’s budget. District staff told trustees they expect $5.7 million of that amount as state funding for the current biennium and that the district will need to cover additional local costs for some increases.

District presenter Ms. Ambliss said the state’s teacher funding comes as two distinct stipends and explained how the biennium payout works. “We are only guaranteed, that $5,700,000 that I mentioned, for the biennium,” Ms. Ambliss said, referring to state support allocated to Harlingen CISD. She added the district must plan for the pay increases to become permanent payroll costs after the biennium.

Why it matters: House Bill 2’s new allotments change the district’s revenue mix and require the trustees to balance teacher pay increases that are state‑funded for the biennium with locally funded pay moves for other employees and fringe benefits that will be ongoing obligations.

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