The Dallas Independent School District will increase teacher salaries on average by approximately $2,300 as part of the $1.38 billion budget for the 2015-2016 school year approved by the Board of Trustees on June 25.
The projected average teacher salary in Dallas ISD will increase by 4.3 percent to approximately $55,300 as part of the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI), a plan approved by trustees last year that is believed to be one of the most innovative evaluation and compensation systems in the country. Through TEI, Dallas teachers have the potential to earn significantly more in salary than the traditional compensation ladder.
In addition to funding increases to support TEI, the starting base salary for new Dallas ISD teachers will be $50,000, up from the previous starting salary of $47,382. Individual pay increases as a result of TEI will be decided following performance reviews in September.
“Support for the first year of TEI is central to the creation of this year’s budget,” said Dallas ISD Chief Financial Officer Jim Terry. “TEI has enormous potential to set Dallas ISD significantly apart from other school districts in terms of teacher compensation, but also in ensuring that there is an effective teacher in every classroom.”
Overall, the 2015-2016 balanced budget includes $3.5 million in funding for 64 additional pre-kindergarten teachers, a 3-percent pay increase for non-teaching staff, and more than $6.4 million to fund the opening of new campuses such as the Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) at James W. Fannin, and the D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School. The district will increase its contribution to the Teacher Retirement System health plan by 1.5 percent.
Other highlights include:
- More than $900,000 to acquire equipment needed to support non-football middle and high school athletic teams.
- More than $200,000 for SAT, ACT and PSAT testing for students in grades 7-11.
- $3 million for career and technical education equipment and supplies for 15 schools.
- $50,000 for transportation for students that opt out of their Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) school.
Current estimated taxable value of more than $92 billion represents an approximate 8.5% increase over the prior fiscal year’s certified value.
The proposed budget projects the district’s fund balance to be approximately $329 million, still exceptionally strong but down slightly from last year because of the impact of a plan approved by trustees in March to allocate reserves to make facilities improvements at several school campuses.
The approved 2015-2016 budget will be available for viewing at www.dallasisd.org.
