CISD taxes fall, teacher salaries rise

Clarendon ISD teachers will received a pay raise and local taxpayers could see relief on their property taxes thanks to House Bill 3, according to Superintendent Mike Norrell.

The Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees approved a new compressed tax rate Monday night, mandated by HB 3. The new rate of $1.0683 per $100 valuation will replace the school’s old rate of $1.17.

Norrell also said that the starting teachers will see their base salary go up by more than $3,000 in the new budget. Teachers with more experience will receive larger increases on the new pay scale set forth by the Texas Education Agency.

The state also set up increases for certified nurses, librarians, and counselors. Norrell said Clarendon ISD instructional aides will see increases of $1,000 per step on the pay scale and maintenance and cafeteria workers will get a five percent raise.

Clarendon’s $5.803 million general school budget is up 9.82 percent due mostly to payroll increases, the superintendent said. In fact, Norrell notes that about 75 percent of the school budget is payroll.
State funding to Clarendon ISD is up about eight percent or $300,000, but Norrell worries that the state might not continue to fund the raises they have put in place.

“My fear is that after this biennium, the state will cut back on their contributions and it will fall back on the district,” Norrell said.

The new budget is built on an average daily attendance of 415 students. Enrollment at Clarendon ISD this week is 443.