COMAL COUNTY, Texas — Comal Independent School District will soon ask the public if it wants to raise taxes for teacher pay.
A voter approved tax ratification election will ask if voters want to approve a property tax increase to increase teacher pay.
The district says decisions by past administrations have left salaries falling behind other districts.
Many Comal ISD parents are weighing the decision whether to fund a teacher pay increase.
“I agree our educators should be paid a little bit more, whether or not that should be footed by taxpayers, is something I’m not 100 percent comfortable with,” George Reyes, a parent with two children in Clear Spring Elementary said.
According to Comal ISD, starting teachers make $48,000 a year, lower than neighboring districts.
“We are at the lower end of the pay scale and that is due to the fact that about a decade ago, a decision was made to give bonuses rather than a percentage pay increase. Over a four year period, that put us behind,” Steve Stanford, assistant superintendent of communications at Comal ISD, says the state legislature in 2019 affixed school finance by compressing the tax rate, and claims it leaves the district with a fixed income.
“The outlet we have now in order to have the revenue to provide compensation for teachers and fund additional positions is for us to go to the taxpayers,” Stanford said.
The tax increase would provide teachers a three percent salary increase annually over the next four years, and it would also fund new positions.
Auxiliary staff including bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers and paraprofessionals would get an extra $1.50 per hour.
Teachers have gone two years without a pay raise—but people like Reyes think the district needs to take care of its people during the budget process.
“I agree we should raise it but I think that’s something where, the district, their budgeting needs to come into play,” Reyes said.
The district says the tax rate would only cost property owners $14 a month or $168 a year, for the average home value in Comal County, which is roughly $355,000 according to the district.
The district is also hosting a bond election on four other propositions that would help address other areas of growth within the district.
The voter registration deadline is October 4.
Early voting will be held between October 18-29 and Election Day will be held November 2. For more information you can visit Comal ISD’s website.
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