The Weslaco school board approved $1,700 pay increases for teachers for the upcoming school year at a board meeting held last month, a 3% increase that bumps the starting annual salary for teachers to $53,500.
A release from the district says Weslaco teachers “are among the highest paid when compared to 12 neighboring school districts like Brownsville, Mission and Mercedes,” attributing that statistic to the Texas Association of School Boards.
“We want to recruit and retain high-quality educators,” Superintendent Dino Coronado wrote. “The board is taking steps to ensure our district is competitive.”
A 3% raise from the midpoint of their pay scale extends to professional and paraprofessional staff as well, the release says.
Bus drivers will receive an hourly rate of $20 while manual tradespeople — bus aides, cafeteria and custodial staff — will receive $14 an hour.
“Weslaco ISD will continue to provide our students with innovative academic programs and our WISD family with competitive salaries,” Coronado wrote.
Staffing has been a concern at virtually all Rio Grande Valley school districts this semester, and educational leadership is expecting it to remain one.
Substitute staffing shortages plagued schools earlier this year and forced districts to make significant increases to rates for subs. Meanwhile, Edinburg CISD approved a significant pay bump for nurses.
Other districts are eying salary increases as well. McAllen ISD trustees wrangled with the topic at a board workshop last week, and La Joya ISD trustees heard proposals from administration on pay bumps that would put its starting teachers at a salary level on par with or a bit higher than Weslaco.
