Northwest ISD adopts 2025–26 compensation plan, including state pass-through and district raises

The Northwest Independent School District board approved the 2025–26 compensation plan and proposed staff raises after presentations by district staff and a public discussion. The board’s motion passed 5–0 with two trustees abstaining.

The plan implements the state’s teacher allotment and adds a local teacher allotment for teachers with zero to two years of experience. “These allotments have to be designated as part of their salary,” said a district HR presenter during the meeting, explaining how the allotments must be coded to PIMS so the state pass-through can be received and applied.

Nut graf: The vote combines state-mandated teacher pass-through money with local funding to maintain competitiveness and preserve staffing; district leaders said the package balances state requirements, recruiting needs and budget constraints while adding about $13 million in total salary costs plus an estimated $1.5 million in employer TRS contributions the district must pay.

District staff described the components: (1) local teacher allotment for 0–2 years at $2,250 per eligible teacher, (2) state teacher allotments of $2,500 for three- to four-year teachers and $5,000 for five-plus years, (3) a 4% actual raise for non-teaching staff, and (4) a $10 per month increase in the district contribution toward health insurance. The HR presentation noted the district had previously restructured pay grades in anticipation of legislative changes.

Finance staff quantified the budget impact: teacher-related increases and adjustments were estimated at roughly $9,000,000; non-teaching staff raises at about $4,100,000; the district’s increased insurance contribution at about $250,000; and an estimated $1,500,000 of additional district-paid TRS contributions tied to the pass-through allotment.

Board members asked about sustainability and how the plan interacts with the district’s new hire schedule. A district leader said the new hire schedule would remain the baseline and “those other ones are on top of that,” so future local raises would apply to the district-controlled column and state allotments would continue to be layered on.

The formal motion to approve the compensation plan was made by Dr. Rausch and seconded by Mr. Schluter; the motion passed with five trustees voting yes and two abstentions. Meeting minutes show the board intended the plan to preserve recruitment competitiveness and to align compensation with recently passed state legislation.

Ending: District staff said they will publish detailed implementation guidance for administrators and share a Friday briefing with employees that clarifies which positions meet the state/PEIMS definition of “teacher” for allotment purposes and how the local allotment will be applied.