District Approves Pay Raises

Employees of the Killeen Independent School District will recieve a pay increase for the 2013-14 school year, following a unanimous decision from the district's board of trustees.

Under the new plan, starting pay for new teachers will be $43,000 annually, a $2,000 increase from last year. Current teachers will recieve a $1,500 annual increase, and all other district employees will recieve a 2.75 percent general pay increase.

The plan is expected to cost $8.1 million. It was the most costly of three plans presented to the board earlier this year. Board member Susan Jones said she supported rewarding employees, but was concerned about sustainability given uncertain economics in the nation.

The cost of the plan does not include the longevity program in the district, which awards stipends based on the number of years an employee has worked in the district. The longevity program costs about $8 million, with a $700,000 increase expected for the next school year. There was no vote on this program at the meeting.

The board also approved a change to the attendence policy, allowing excused absences for students if the absence is related to the deployment or return from deployment of a family member.