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Conroe ISD trustees praise special education progress but say budget limits teacher pay increases
Summary
Trustees highlighted a positive special education update and the program's high state rating, but said district budget constraints and prior front‑loaded pay increases limit additional teacher compensation this year.
Trustees said the district's first annual special education update showed meaningful progress and a high state rating, but they also emphasized the expense of special education and limited room in the budget for new compensation increases.
A board member said Dr. Wiggins presented an update the board found "meaningful" and suggested the district could share lessons with other Texas districts. The trustee described special education as "one of our most expensive educational experiences in the district" and said the program serves some of the district's most vulnerable students.
At the same time, trustees discussed teacher compensation and said the district must adopt a balanced budget. One trustee said the board "front-loaded" state-provided funds last year to maximize immediate pay increases and that, with inflation and budget constraints, there is limited capacity to add new compensation this year. "We just can't do more than we're doing," a board member said.
Board members described plans to continue legislative advocacy and targeted budget actions intended to yield future salary-schedule benefits, but they did not record any motions or votes at this meeting to change pay scales.
Next steps: trustees said they will pursue legislative avenues and specific internal strategies to support teachers and will return with budget proposals in future meetings.
