Teachers urge board to keep math and science stipends, citing retention and fairness

Two teachers urged the Sharyland Independent School District board during public comment to maintain stipends for secondary math and science teachers, saying those payments help retain specialized staff and support student outcomes.

Jessica Nunez, who identified herself as representing the junior North Junior High and Bill Gray math and science departments, told trustees that teaching secondary math and science requires “an exceptional level of dedication, preparation, and responsibility” and that continuation of core-content stipends recognizes the increased workload tied to state accountability and college and career readiness. She asked the board to continue the stipends to support recruitment and retention of qualified teachers.

Annabel Guerra, a 17‑year district teacher, urged trustees to ensure decisions about stipend changes are communicated in advance and applied equitably. Guerra said changes that appear small on paper can have meaningful effects on household budgets and warned that removing incentives for advanced degrees could undermine efforts to recruit and retain teachers. She asked the board to consider long‑term impacts on morale, recruitment and trust.

Both speakers linked stipends to the district’s ability to meet state accountability expectations and to sustain career and technical education pathways. Neither speaker proposed a specific dollar amount; both called on trustees to preserve existing stipends and to provide clear, timely notice if changes are under consideration.

The board did not take immediate action on teacher stipends during the meeting. Trustees later voted to table consideration of the 2026–27 compensation plan and salary increase until the next workshop, a separate agenda item where staffing compensation will be discussed further.