Round Rock ISD employees will see a 1% general pay increase—taken at the midpoint of their pay grade—in the 2024–25 school year, as well as two potential retention bonuses tied to enrollment.

At its regular meeting April 18, the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees approved a compensation plan for the upcoming school year that includes $1,000 in retention bonuses if the district reaches student enrollment goals.

The raise will come as the district faces a $22 million budget shortfall and has been working toward a balanced budget.

“School districts across the state are wrestling with difficult budget decisions because the most recent legislative session failed to prioritize funding for Texas children and educators,” said Hafedh Azaiez, Superintendent of Schools. “A 1% pay raise and these incentives will help us retain and recruit the best staff to our district, even though we’re not able to provide our exceptional educators and staff the raises they truly deserve.”

The first one-time $500 retention bonus will be based on the district’s student enrollment on the last Friday in October, a date known by the state as the PEIMS “snapshot date.” If enrollment at that date is at 47,000 or higher, eligible employees in good standing with the district would receive $500 on their December 2024 paycheck.

The second one-time bonus would come after the enrollment count on the last Friday in February. Eligible employees in good standing would receive $500 on their May 2025 paycheck if the district’s student enrollment reaches 47,500 or higher as of that date.

Chief Human Resources Officer Eddie Curran said that the district is actively working to increase enrollment through multiple approaches, and that these incentives are a way to potentially provide additional compensation to teachers and staff, while ensuring that the district achieves the goal of balancing the budget.

“Because the state links school district funding to enrollment, attracting more students to our schools generates additional financial support that we can use to invest in our staff,” Curran said.

Another crucial increase included in the plan is a $2 per hour pay increase to all CDL bus drivers, raising that starting hourly rate to $23.50.

Recent pay increases

  • 2023–24 school year: 6% for teachers, 5% for all other staff
  • 2022–23: 3%–5% general pay increases, based on position types