Socorro Independent School District officials presented a proposed employee compensation plan on June 9 that would split classroom and nonclassroom pay schedules to align with House Bill 2 allotments and add targeted stipends for high-need positions.

The proposal, presented by Selena Stiles, chief human resources officer, would keep the district's high starting teacher salary but create one schedule for classroom teachers and a separate schedule for nonclassroom teachers, nurses and librarians. "This evening, I will be presenting the proposed compensation plan for the upcoming 2526 school year," Stiles said during the workshop.

Why it matters: HB 2 created dedicated allotments for teacher retention and support staff. The district's plan uses those allotments to apply step increases and fixed annual raises by experience band for classroom teachers and a 1.5% midpoint increase for most support staff. Administration said the package is intended to address pay compression between teacher and administrative pay ranges and to retain staff in hard-to-fill areas.

Key proposals and figures
- Classroom teachers: experience-based increases aligned with HB 2; administration estimates the cost at about $12,200,000. Stiles said the district expects neighboring districts to apply HB 2 similarly, and that starting salaries would not change.
- Nonclassroom teachers, nurses and librarians: 1.5% increase off the market midpoint (approx. $398,000).
- Counselors: 1.5% (approx. $206,000); paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff: 1.5% (approx. $867,000).
- Professionals and clinic/professional technology staff: 1.5% (approx. $280,000).
- Administration: 1% increase off midpoint (approx. $265,000); Stiles confirmed this increase is outside HB 2 and would come from the district general fund.
- Compression adjustments: employees impacted by pay compression would receive either the percentage increase or the compression adjustment — not both, Stiles said.

Targeted stipends and recruitment incentives
- Increase special education BIC (behavior intervention classroom) unit teacher stipend from $2,000 to $3,000 for 2025–26.
- Offer a $5,000 recruitment stipend (one year, prorated) to newly hired school psychologists.
- Add a $2,500 stipend for elementary core teachers with 25 or more students. Staff identified 76 elementary core teachers who would qualify under current counts; estimate of budget impact for that stipend is about $190,000.

Public comment and board discussion
Behavior-unit teacher Anthony Delgado urged the board to raise the behavior-unit stipend, saying, "Our current stipend has remained at $2,000 for over a decade," and noted neighboring districts pay more. Rosie Perez, speaking for West Texas Alliance and district employees, asked the board to consider raises for all employees, saying rising insurance premiums have effectively reduced pay: "When no raise is given and premiums increase, the result is not neutral. It is a pay cut." Both speakers requested the board make specific items available for a vote.

CFO David Solis told trustees the district's previously proposed budget did not include these increases and that state allotment estimates are still being refined. Solis said staff currently estimate roughly $8.1 million in additional state funding could be available and that the June 24 budget presentation will include an $8 million figure; he said amendments may follow in July or August when allotments are finalized.

Board members asked for more granular detail on who would receive compression adjustments and requested a board update listing affected employees. Stiles said she will provide that information for the Friday packet and that the compensation items will return to the regular board meeting for approval.

Ending: Administration framed the package as contingent on final HB 2 allotments and said some items could be adjusted later if state funding differs from current estimates. The board did not take a vote at the workshop; trustees were asked to review the materials before the regular meeting where formal action will be scheduled.