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PSJA trustees review balanced 2026–27 budget proposal, including pay increases and new high‑deductible health option
Summary
The Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo ISD presented a balanced 2026–27 budget proposal that includes a $1,300 teacher stipend, 2% for nonteaching professionals and 3% for nonexempt hourly staff, plus a new HSA‑eligible high‑deductible plan intended to trim benefit costs while keeping employer contribution levels.
Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo ISD administrators presented a proposed balanced budget for the 2026–27 school year that builds in targeted pay adjustments and changes to employee health benefits. Assistant Superintendent for Finance Becky Gonzales told trustees the draft budget assumes enrollment of about 28,200 students and projects revenues and expenditures of $449,000,215 each; the proposal includes a $1,300 increase for teachers, a 2% increase for nonteaching professionals, and a 3% increase for nonexempt full‑time hourly employees, for a total compensation cost built into the plan of roughly $6.2 million.
Gonzales also outlined a health‑plan redesign intended to manage rising claims costs. The district would add an HSA‑eligible high‑deductible option and modestly raise deductibles on existing plans; the district would seed the new HSA with a $250 contribution for each participating employee. Gonzales said in the presentation that the deductible adjustments are expected to save approximately $225,000 annually and that if about 10% of employees elect the new HSA option, the district could realize an incremental $340,000 in annual savings.
Trustees pushed for more detail on who would receive each increase and how the package compares with other districts. One trustee asked how the specific percent increases map to staff categories; Gonzales clarified examples: the teacher stipend is the $1,300 line item, “nonteaching professionals” includes principals and directors, and the 3% nonexempt category covers many campus support staff such as custodians and paraprofessionals. Trustee comments repeatedly asked for an additional workshop to review payroll scenarios before final adoption.
The administration stressed that payroll and benefits represent the bulk of district spending—about 85%—and said the recommended package is presented as a balanced approach that gives increases to all employees while avoiding layoffs or campus closures. Gonzales told the board the next formal public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Aug. 17, followed by a board meeting that same night when trustees may act on adoption.
