Board approves Midland ISD 2025–26 compensation plan after debate over stipend roll‑ins and diagnostician pay

Miss Garcia, district human resources staff, presented the proposed 2025–26 Midland ISD compensation manual to the board on June 10, asking trustees to approve a salary schedule informed by an outside salary study and by requirements in House Bill 2 enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature.

Garcia said the salary study compared Midland ISD to similar districts in the region and market roles outside education. The district’s pay for teachers, she said, is competitive for early‑career teachers but narrows for teachers with 10 or more years of experience. The presentation recommended several changes: adjusting master's degree stipends (a $1,500 stipend if a master’s aligns to the teacher’s subject area and a $1,000 flat stipend for a general master’s degree); aligning the compensation plan to HB 2 requirements; placement‑scale adjustments to address the 10‑year‑plus gap; and a strategic 1 percent adjustment if an employee remains at or above 90 percent of midpoint after other adjustments.

Garcia said the district expects costs associated with HB 2 implementation to be roughly $5.5 million covering about 14,100 employees in teacher categories, and recommended a starting teacher salary increase to $61,500 and a general 2 percent increase for identified non‑teacher pay groups. She said the total costs presented did not include fringe benefits such as employer retirement contributions, which Mr. Durham had noted earlier in the budget presentation.

Board discussion focused on how to treat long‑standing stipends, particularly for diagnosticians. Trustees asked whether certain stipends should remain stand‑alone or be rolled into base salary; concerns included longer‑term Teacher Retirement System (TRS) cost implications and potential disruption to recruitment and services if stipends changed. One trustee said diagnosticians are critical to timely testing and student supports; another cautioned that embedding stipends in base pay removes flexibility for future budget adjustments.

Miss Garcia said the administration had considered grandfathering current employees so that existing stipend recipients would not lose pay, while new hires could be placed on the updated schedule; she described the approach as a way to protect current staff while moving toward a long‑term compensation structure.

Trustees also discussed incentive and merit programs. Garcia said Midland ISD paid teacher incentive allotment checks to 274 teachers this year, totaling roughly $7,000,000, and that Opportunity Culture roles and other stipends provide additional pay paths. Trustees asked for additional materials showing how incentive and federal/state funding flows to the district and how those programs interact with the compensation plan.

After discussion, Mr. Booker moved to approve the 2025–26 compensation plan as presented; Josh Gwynn seconded. President Hodges called the vote; the board approved the compensation plan unanimously.

The approved compensation manual was explicitly described as contingent on current interpretations of legislative changes and subject to revision pending further state guidance.