Waxahachie ISD budget workshop: House Bill 2 adds new pots of state funding but leaves staff‑pay questions

At a June budget workshop, Waxahachie ISD finance staff told the Board of Trustees that House Bill 2 will bring new state dollars to the district but that key implementation details remain unresolved, leaving uncertainty about exactly which employees will receive pay increases.

District staff said the new statewide spending includes a teacher retention allotment, a support‑staff retention allotment and several smaller allotments that together add roughly $3.1 million in new formula or targeted funding for Waxahachie ISD. The district’s finance presenter said the teacher retention allotment will be distributed by the state based on experience and that, under current guidance, TEA plans to send $2,500 for teachers with three to four years of experience and $5,000 for teachers with five or more years of experience.

Why it matters: Personnel costs are by far the largest item in the district budget (presenter: “About 80 to 85%” of expenditures), so how the new state funds can be used — and which positions qualify — will determine whether the district can meet the board’s stated priority of pay increases for staff.

What the district reported - Teacher retention allotment: The district’s current interpretation (pending TEA rules) is a $2,500 payment for teachers with three–four years and $5,000 for teachers with five-plus years. District staff said the state has not yet defined who qualifies as a teacher for that allotment; the most restrictive definition would use the PEIMS instructional service code (record service ID 87), which requires roughly four hours of daily instruction. Special education teachers who do not meet that instructional‑hour threshold could be excluded under a narrow definition. - Support staff retention allotment: A separate $45 per average daily attendance (ADA) allotment for non‑administrative support staff (paraprofessionals, custodians, bus drivers, etc.). Using an estimated WADA of 14,680, the presenter estimated about $660,000 for Waxahachie ISD. - Basic allotment and ABCs: The state basic allotment increased by $55 per ADA (from $6,160 to $6,215). An additional $106 per ADA was described as an "allocation for basic costs" (transportation, utilities, benefits, TRS contribution). The presenter estimated roughly $1.5 million from that $106 allotment for the district. - School safety allotment: The formula and per‑campus amount were increased; the district estimated the change would add about $147,000 (total school safety allotment about $830,000) while noting the district currently spends about $1.4 million on security salaries. - CHARS (school health) federal reimbursements: Interim federal reimbursements that formerly ran at roughly $2.5 million have fallen to about $101,000 this year; staff said they may seek additional reimbursement at year‑end cost‑report settlement but budgeted conservatively. - Net new funds for non‑payroll: Staff estimated about $3.1 million of new funding overall but said roughly $1.6 million of that would be available to directly support staff pay (the rest was identified for non‑payroll uses and mandated categories).

Unresolved questions and board concerns District staff repeatedly said they are awaiting TEA rules and guidance to implement HB2 components. "We are waiting on TEA to give us some guidance ... I do not have any real good information on staff raises at this point," the finance presenter said. Board members asked whether raises funded by state allotments will require local payment of employer retirement contributions (TRS) and other benefits; district staff confirmed employer-side costs (roughly 8% TRS contribution plus other benefits) are the responsibility of the district.

Board members and a public commenter raised concerns about who might be left out if the teacher allotment applies narrowly to classroom teachers. The finance presenter noted state law’s existing minimum salary schedule includes teachers, librarians, counselors and nurses, but HB2’s teacher retention allotment appears written for classroom teachers; the district cannot finalize a pay plan until TEA defines eligible staff and the teacher‑retention allotment population.

Public comment and district response Teacher and parent Britney Webb addressed the board during the workshop and urged the district not to shift cuts to paraprofessionals, librarians, assistant principals and other "boots on the ground" staff. "We are cutting assistant principals, our librarians, our office staff, and our paraprofessionals," Webb said, adding that paraprofessionals often earn $15–$19 an hour and compete with private‑sector jobs paying higher wages. Webb recommended broader stakeholder input on budget priorities and suggested expanding district programs (for example, Little Chiefs Academy) as a retention strategy.

Next steps Staff said they expect TEA compensation and implementation guidance imminently and may call a special budget workshop in July; the district proposed another workshop in August and a final budget adoption meeting on the last Monday of August before the fiscal year begins Sept. 1.

Figures and details referenced in the workshop - New statewide funding to Waxahachie ISD from HB2 (not including teacher retention allotment): about $3.1 million (district estimate) - Support staff allotment: $45 per ADA; estimated district share: about $660,000 (based on estimated WADA 14,680) - Basic allotment: $6,160 → $6,215 (+$55 per ADA) - Basic cost allocation: $106 per ADA; district estimated roughly $1.5 million - CHARS interim reimbursements: down from ~$2.5 million historically to ~$101,000 this year - Estimated student enrollment (last day of school): 11,171; district budgeted ADA and attendance rates were discussed (attendance ~94.4–94.5%)

Documents/training referenced: The presenter said they attended Region 10 training and expect TEA guidance on compensation rules within days of the workshop.