May 3, 2022 - During a special board meeting this morning, the Board of Trustees for the Comal Independent School District approved a 2022-23 compensation package for all employees that includes a 4 percent pay increase for teachers and staff, and a $1.16 per hour increase for bus drivers. In December 2021, salaried staff received a 3 percent pay increase and hourly employees received a $1.50 per hour raise.
“With this pay increase, I believe we are moving in the right direction when it comes to compensating our teachers and staff members who work tirelessly for our students every day,” says Jason York, president of the Comal ISD Board of Trustees. “I am thankful for the passage of the VATRE as it is enabling us to be able to offer this increase.
Key to the Board’s ability to provide the 4 percent pay increase is the Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE), which was passed by voters on Nov. 2, 2021. Prior to the election, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution stating that revenue generated by the TRE would only be used for compensation and new positions due to growth.
“As we look at the big picture when it comes to our revenue, the TRE is just one source of revenue, and historically, Comal ISD has been conservative when it comes to its annual budget,” says Trustee Russell Garner. “In fact, the district has been transparent with its budget and kept it balanced. I feel that our teachers and entire staff deserve this 4 percent pay increase.”
As part of the overall compensation plan, the Board of Trustees approved at a previous meeting a new health insurance plan for 2022-23 that will allow approximately 75 percent of district employees to realize a decrease in their health insurance premiums. In addition, the district is increasing its contribution to employee health insurance cost from $390 to $400.
This compensation package will take effect for all Comal ISD employees beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.