Laredo ISD board approves largest compensation package in district history — 3.5% across‑the‑board raise and teacher minimum increased to $54,000; budget and a

LAREDO, Texas — At a regularly scheduled June 24 meeting, the LAREDO ISD Board of Trustees approved the district’s 2025–26 compensation plan included in the budget, authorizing a 3.5% pay increase for employees and adopting placement‑scale adjustments and stipends the administration recommended. Trustees also adopted the district’s 2025 annual budget, approved two administrative hires and approved budget amendments tied to the refunding bond and operating transfers.

The compensation plan the board approved includes a 3.5% pay increase for employees on the new pay structures presented by staff. The presentation recommended a starting teacher salary of $54,000 and described a $2,000 "Year 0" supplement to support that starting step; the plan also included a $12,250 component in the teacher salary schedule presentation. Paraprofessionals and professionals on the new Task B pay structures are recommended to receive a 3.5% increase calculated from the midpoint of their assigned pay grades; employees must have worked at least 90 days in the 2024–25 school year to be eligible. The recommended compensation plan also raises minimums for operations and instructional support staff to $12 per hour and includes targeted stipends — bilingual and ESL stipends ($2,000 each), robotics elementary sponsor stipend ($500 per sponsor, with additional sponsors recommended where campuses have more than 25 participants), and teacher certification stipends for police (specified amounts tied to certification levels in the presentation).

Board members described the approved package as the largest equitable compensation increase in district history. Trustee Rodolfo Morales III read a prepared statement noting the raise and an equity adjustment responded to employee feedback and a neutral salary study. Trustees acknowledged the district’s fiscal constraints — declining enrollment and other external pressures — and emphasized that sustaining the increases will require future austerity measures and careful fiscal oversight.

On budget items the board approved several motions: the board approved budget amendments including a debt service fund amendment tied to the district’s 2025 refunding bond issuance (budget amendment 24‑25‑54 increasing debt‑service financing and expenditures by approximately $12,182,981 as presented) and a general operating fund amendment (24‑25‑55) increasing certain transfers by about $1,422,026. Trustees adopted the annual budget covering the general operating fund, food service, athletics and debt service. The board also approved an increase in the district’s monthly health insurance contribution by $77 per covered employee so that employee premiums would not increase.

In personnel actions, after an executive session the board approved the hire of Omar Gonzales as director of assessment and Agustin Hernandez as technology network coordinator. The board moved to schedule interviews for the interim superintendent applicants at a special‑called meeting on June 26; discussion of contingency‑fee legal agreements and related litigation items concerning social media companies was tabled for future consideration.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): the compensation plan and related adoption language passed by voice vote (“All in favor, signify by saying ‘aye.’ Any against? Motion passes.”); the budget amendments and annual budget were approved by voice votes; the board approved the two hires by voice votes following an executive session; motions to table contingency fee legal service agreements and to schedule interim superintendent interviews were also carried by voice votes.

Why it matters: The pay increases and placement‑scale adjustments affect thousands of district employees and are intended to raise starting pay and improve retention. The budget and budget amendments provide the authority to spend on the programs and hires presented. The board and administration noted that sustaining the increases will require continued attention to enrollment, revenues and spending plans.

Additional details: Staff said raises will be effective July 1, tied to the 2025–26 fiscal year; eligibility rules (90 days in 2024–25) and retroactive adjustments are possible subject to future legislative interpretation and final payroll implementation.