Northwest ISD trustees approve $2.5M in staffing requests and a $7M compensation package after budget workshop

Trustees of the Northwest Independent School District approved a set of staffing additions and a proposed 2026–27 compensation plan after a detailed budget workshop that administrators said was shaped by community listening sessions and a recent voter-approved tax ratification election.

The board voted to add roughly $2.5 million in program staffing to address rapid growth in special populations and other needs. “If you look at our special ed population in that same time period, it has increased 136%,” the district presenter said, noting parallel increases in emerging bilingual students (216%), dyslexia (138%), economically disadvantaged students (78%) and career and technical education enrollment (128%). The staffing package includes special-education teachers and paraprofessionals, behavior technicians, a teacher for the visually impaired, CTE positions and a teacher residency program.

District leaders said the additions respond to sustained changes in student composition that require smaller student-to-teacher ratios and specialized services. “A special needs classroom requires more teachers and paras than a general ed classroom,” the presenter said, explaining why the staffing model was revised.

On compensation, trustees approved a plan that administrators estimated will cost about $7 million. The package guarantees a minimum 2% pay increase on actual salary for all staff, a targeted 5% increase for paraprofessionals to improve competitiveness, market adjustments for underpaid job categories and increased stipends for special-education teachers (unit teachers would receive $3,000, non-unit special-ed teachers $1,500 under the plan). The district also described calendar adjustments that would increase hourly pay for bus drivers in practice.

Administrators said the board’s three stated budget priorities — protecting student programs, maximizing compensation and preserving fund balance — guided the spending decisions. The district projects roughly $25 million more revenue next year compared with the original 2025–26 budget, including about $17 million from the recent voter-approved tax ratification (referred to in the meeting as the “Vader”). The presenters said the district is directing that revenue toward the commitments made during that election, while remaining cautious about one-time funds and enrollment and special-education funding uncertainties from the state.

Trustees asked detailed questions about how CTE growth and enrollment shortfalls affect funding. In response, administration said targeted staffing (for example, adding a business teacher at one high school) will allow the district to serve substantially more students and generate additional state revenue tied to CTE program participation.

Votes at a glance: - Program staffing package (2026–27): motion moved by Dr. Roush, seconded by Mrs. Cop; outcome: approved (voice vote; board recorded 7 yes). - Compensation plan and proposed staff raises (2026–27): motion moved by Mr. Schlutoter, seconded by Dr. Roush; outcome: approved (voice vote; board recorded 7 yes). - Teacher contract approvals: motion moved by Mr. Schlutoter, seconded by Dr. Roush; outcome: approved (vote recorded as 4 yes, 0 no, 3 abstain).

Why it matters: The staffing and compensation approvals respond to rapid growth in students with specialized needs and to listening-session feedback that prioritized pay increases and supports for paraprofessionals and special-education staff. Administration emphasized prudence: while some revenue increases are ongoing, other components (notably state special-education weighting) remain uncertain.

What’s next: Administration said it will post positions and begin hiring immediately to have salary letters ready before staff leave campus for summer, and it will return in May/June with more refined budget numbers after property values and final state weightings are available.