Pearland ISD board approves 2025–26 compensation plan including teacher retention allotment and 3% GPI for other staff

The Pearland Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 6'0to'00 on June 10 to approve the district's 2025–26 employee compensation package, accepting state-directed teacher retention allotments and a 3% general pay increase for noneligible staff.

The measure combines state-mandated supplements for eligible classroom teachers with a district-funded 3% GPI (general pay increase) for other employees. "So what we are asking the board tonight to consider for approval for compensation for 25–26 is to do the $2,500 for the 3 to 4 years teachers and the $5,000 for the 5 plus year teachers, but also a general GPI 3% increase for all other employees," Superintendent Dr. John Berger said during the meeting.

Board members and staff said the state's new funding substantially offsets previously budgeted local increases. Dr. Berger told trustees that the district's analysis estimates a total districtwide base salary increase of about $8.4 million, with roughly $5.8 million expected from House Bill 2 and about $2.4 million to be covered from the district's general fund. "Once you pull out the teachers in that, all of your classroom teachers, year 3 to above experience, which House Bill 2 is going to take care of, to the tune of just, I think it was $5,800,000 ... we are looking at about 2,400,000 in compensation that's coming from the general operating budget," Berger said.

Trustees heard staff clarify how the state allotment will be applied: the $2,500 (for teachers with 3–4 years' experience) and $5,000 (for teachers with 5+ years) will be determined by how educators are coded in the district's PEIMS reporting system; nonclassroom employees on a teacher pay scale but not coded as classroom teachers would not qualify for those specific supplements. "To work through our PEIMS system ... it has to be a classroom teacher," Berger said.

Trustees also discussed insurance cost increases and the district's fund balance. Human-resources and finance staff said health plan premiums are projected to rise about 7.6% on average. Pearland ISD's reported year-end estimate of fund balance was about 144 days; board members debated using recurring increases versus a one-time December payment if financial conditions permit. "If we find that we're in that position, it does, it needs to enter that conversation again next year," Trustee Scheffler said.

The board's motion to approve the compensation package was made by Trustee Scheffler, seconded by Trustee Carter, and passed 6'0to' 0 with Trustee Murphy absent.

The board also approved a set of stipend adjustments covering roughly 54 stipend categories, including academic team leads, department chairs, behavior-support classrooms, and selected fine-arts and junior-high athletic stipends. Dr. Berger said the stipends were reviewed against TASB and peer districts after not having been comprehensively adjusted for about a decade.

Board action: motion to approve the 2025–26 compensation and stipend adjustments; mover Trustee Scheffler; second Trustee Carter; vote 6'0yes, 0' no, Trustee Murphy absent.

Trustees directed staff to continue monitoring insurance trends and fund-balance projections and to revisit nonrecurring compensation options later in the year should additional discretionary funds be available.

The board recessed to other agenda items after the vote.