Harlandale ISD projects nearly $10 million shortfall as staff press board for pay raises and recurring steps

Harlandale ISD trustees met June 3 for a special budget workshop and heard employees and administrators weigh competing choices for addressing staff pay as the district projects a nearly $10 million shortfall for 2026–27.

At the start of the public‑comment period, Susan Selenas, identified in the transcript as TSA staff, told the board: "It's disappointing that the compensation plan presented at the last schoolboard workshop did not have a percentage pay raise for employees." She urged the board and administration to explore options that include a 2–3% percentage raise for classified, clerical and professional hourly staff and a standardized step amount for teachers, saying a set dollar step is easier for employees to understand than the current midpoint indexing.

"I am proposing that the board go back and reconsider their budget for next year," said Christ Martinez, a fourth‑grade teacher who identified herself as the new president of HA. Martinez pressed trustees to add a 2% raise for clerical and paraprofessional staff, noting many take on extra duties or after‑school roles to make ends meet.

On the administration side, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Mr. Flores outlined three options for a one‑time retention/recruitment payment — $350, $500 and $650 — and said staff recommend the $650 option "that fits within the current budget projections," which the district estimated at roughly $1.77 million to cover the payment. Flores also recommended keeping a $60,000 starting teacher salary and continuing targeted step increases and district supplements tied to the state teacher retention allotment where applicable.

Using an assumed average daily attendance of 9,500, Flores presented projections showing roughly $127.7 million in revenues and about $137.6 million in expenses, yielding a projected deficit of about $9.88 million. He said the district still projects an ending fund balance near $35.62 million — above a 90‑day threshold of approximately $33.93 million — and noted audited unassigned funds at the end of FY2024–25 were $51,423,487. Flores cautioned the figures are projections and could change with certified appraisal values or legislative funding adjustments.

Trustees pressed staff on who qualifies for the state teacher retention allotment. Flores explained the allotment from the 89th Texas Legislature requires positions be coded as teacher (code 087) and be more than half‑time; roles such as pull‑out instructors, some intervention positions and certain specialists can be on the teacher pay scale but still be ineligible for the state allotment. He said the district provided a $1,500 district supplement last year to some employees who did not qualify for the state money.

Board members asked Flores to model additional scenarios — including what the cost would be if the one‑time payment were $800 or $950 — and he said he would provide those figures.

The discussion underscored a tension trustees face: offering recurring raises that improve hourly employees’ sustained income versus using one‑time payments that avoid adding permanent obligations to the budget. Flores emphasized that one‑time payments do not create ongoing payroll commitments, while permanent increases remain in the budget for the duration of employees’ tenures. Trustees also discussed state grant programs that can increase per‑pupil funding but often include conditions that affect local control.

Next steps: staff will circulate the additional cost scenarios requested by trustees and finalize budget materials for the June budget hearing schedule; certification of appraisal values and legislature action could change the final adopted budget.