GISD approves pay raises for teachers, nurses, aides

The teachers, nurses and instructional aides at Gonzales Independent School District will receive raises for the 2023-2024 school year from a newly approved compensation plan. 

The GISD school board met for the regularly scheduled meeting Monday, March 6, and voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve the 2023-2024 compensation plan to give teachers and staff raises. 

“In accordance with policy DEA, the recommended raises of two percent for teachers and nurses and a 10% increase for instructional aides are being presented with the 23-24 compensation plan,” GISD Human Resource Officer Haley Ratliff said. 

The raises for the positions mentioned will take effect in the next fiscal year. 

Last year, the school board gave raises to the district as a whole, and Superintendent Dr. Elmer Avellaneda gave kudos to the board for doing that and distributing the raises the “various groups.”

“Every position in this district is important. Every position is interrelated. Every position has a part to play. But this is not my opinion. This is research that the most impactful position in any school district is the teacher,” Avellaneda said. 

The board also voted unanimously to approve the 2023-24 compensation plan for substitutes and retired teachers. 

“As we struggle to find substitutes in our classroom, I bring you this one to help with that. If we could add certified retired teachers substitute pay in the amount of a daily rate of $130, with no minimum day requirement work, we believe that we will help with the shortage that we currently have,” Ratliff said. 

In other board business, the board swore in former Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Strozier to fill the District 6 seat vacated by the resignation of Sue Gottwald; Strozier will remain on the board until a new school board representative is elected in the Saturday, May 6 election. 

The board approved to cancel the election for District 5 as current school board President Ross Hendershot III, the District 5 trustee, is unopposed. 

The board approved the following agenda items: 

--approved term life Insurance for all full-time employees starting in the 2023-2024 school year. 

--approved, 6-1, the 2023-2024 GISD district improvement plan goals.

--approved a contract with the Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio.

--approved the Teacher Incentive Allotment Application Spending Plan for GISD.

--approved the 2023-2024 school calendar.

--approved a lease agreement for copiers and an associated budget amendment. 

--approved the purchase of Chromebooks to complete the yearly “one to one” replacement cycle.

--approved a memorandum of understanding with Victoria College.