The Amarillo Independent School District voted this week to give all Amarillo public school teachers a $1,500 raise,reports The Amarillo Globe-News.
The Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted for the raises unanimously, 6-0. The plan gives raises to all AISD employees, not just teachers, and it comes with a price tag of over $5 million.
The school district’s chief financial officer said the raises were an attempt to stay competitive with teacher salaries in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. After the raise, a first-year AISD teacher will make over $47,000. That’s only $3,000 per year less than a first-year teacher in Dallas earns.
The AISD was able to pay for the raises with rising property values and a state funding boost. Budget projections show AISD with a $9 million surplus over the next two years.