College Station ISD board approves broad staff raises; approves Plan F (5% midpoint plus HB2 teacher stipends)

The College Station Independent School District Board of Trustees on June 17, 2025 approved a districtwide compensation package that pairs House Bill 2 teacher stipends with a 5% midpoint pay increase for other pay families, a step administrators said is intended to retain staff and close internal pay gaps.

Board action and context

The board voted 6-0 to adopt “Plan F,” following a recommendation from district leadership. The adopted package implements the House Bill 2 amounts for classroom teachers (stipends of $2,500 or $5,000 depending on years of experience), extends the HB2 amounts to employees on the district’s teacher pay scale who might not strictly qualify as classroom teachers, and applies a 5% midpoint increase to other pay families (administrative, clerical/professional and auxiliary). The motion to adopt Plan F was made by Trustee Simmons and seconded by Trustee Iggy.

Why the board said it mattered

District administrators framed the decision as a choice to prioritize staff compensation now rather than defer raises while the district tightens operations. Superintendent Mike Harper, arguing for the recommended plan, told trustees: "If we're gonna ask [staff] to do that, then we need to, we need to step up and pay them." Heather Wilson, the district presenter for compensation and budget items, laid out the fiscal effects and said the board was choosing a “worst case” cost scenario to avoid later shortfalls.

Plan details and budget effects

- Teacher stipends required or enabled by House Bill 2: $2,500 for teachers with roughly 1–4 years of experience and $5,000 for teachers with 5+ years (these amounts follow TEA guidance and the district's interpretation of HB2 eligibility). - District treatment of teacher-pay-scale employees: employees on the teacher pay scale who do not qualify under TEA’s HB2 coding (librarians, nurses, instructional coaches, some specialists) will receive the HB2 stipend amounts in the plan adopted by the board. - Other pay families (administrative, clerical/professional, auxiliary such as bus drivers and custodians): 5% midpoint increase under Plan F. - Estimated one-year budget impact: the administration presented Plan F as creating a roughly $2.1 million deficit in the 2025–26 budget as proposed; the district said that number reflects the most conservative (highest-cost) assumptions and that funding and other adjustments could reduce that gap.

Fund balance and risk

District staff told trustees the district entered the decision with an unassigned fund balance currently near $38.5 million and expects to add roughly $6 million to fund balance this fiscal year because of the board-approved 10‑month budget timing. That infusion, administrators said, gives the district limited runway to absorb a multi‑year deficit while pursuing other revenue or enrollment strategies.

Administrators noted options to address the budget gap if needed in subsequent years, including stricter operational efficiencies and possible controlled openings to out‑of‑district transfers. The board discussed the trade-offs between closing pay gaps now and the financial uncertainty of future state policy and enrollment. Trustee comments reflected both support for the staff-focused approach and caution about running deficits, but the motion passed unanimous.

What trustees and staff said

- Mike Harper, Superintendent: "If we're gonna ask them to do that, then we need to, we need to step up and pay them." (advocating the administration recommendation) - Trustee Simmons (mover): "I personally would like to make a motion to adopt Plan F with the 5% raise." (motion to adopt)

Next steps and implementation

The administration will finalize payroll implementation details, submit required documentation to TEA for HB2-related funding, and present any necessary mid-year budget amendments in August/September if certified revenues or student counts change. Trustees said they expect to revisit budget performance during the year and to consider enrollment and transfer policies as levers for future revenue.

Ending

Trustees approved the compensation plan 6-0 on June 17, 2025. The board and administration said they will monitor actual TEA allocations, final certified student counts and local revenue numbers and will return with adjustments if needed.