June 15, 2020 – At the June 15 Board meeting, trustees approved a $7.3 million employee compensation package for the 2020-2021 school year that includes a 4% raise for hourly workers, including but not limited to instructional assistants, maintenance and cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and clerical staff; and a 3% raise for professional staff such as teachers, counselors, librarians, school nurses, and administrators. The 3% raise means every AISD teacher will receive an increase in their annual salary of almost $2,000.
The Board also approved an increase in the District’s beginning teacher salary - from $49,273 last year to $50,258 for 2020-2021, and they gave an extra $125 stipend to all teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians to use for student and classroom supplies.
Trustees adopted a total budget of $329,211,122, up from $316,445,825 last year.
The Board heard a report from Superintendent Doug Loomis regarding the District’s COVID-19 response. Mr. Loomis said several task forces within AISD are currently working on proposals for what school will look like in the fall, and trying to plan for different scenarios. Mr. Loomis said though much depends on pending rules and restrictions from state officials, “We are taking a measured approach, and my hope is we won’t have to change the calendar, but can ‘bank’ some days to use for possible COVID-related closures by adding a few minutes to each school day.” Mr. Loomis also took the Board on a virtual ‘tour’ of designs for the new career center, currently under construction in the former Hastings warehouse building on Plains Blvd. He said plans are still on track to open the first phase of the career center in August 2021, and the second and final phase in January 2022.
The Board voted to designate $30 million still remaining in the District’s fund balance from a hail lawsuit settlement for school roof repairs resulting from a 2013 hailstorm. Only about $2 million from the settlement has been spent on roof repairs to date. Trustees also designated an additional $12 million of the fund balance for purposes in keeping with the Board’s current stated priorities of safety and security; college, career and military readiness; and closing the achievement gap. The $12 million will fund security needs such as completing the project to add security fences around the perimeter of high schools, adding perimeter door and gate access controls at middle and high schools, implementing a student ID badging system, and purchasing Chromebooks for a 1:1 technology program expansion in grades one through eight.
Finally, the Board acknowledged gifts totaling $98,165 that were given to the District and its schools by Happy State Bank, Mirna Fewell, Terry Carver, Coffee Memorial Blood Center, James A. Sullivan, Andrew G. Foote and Adrianne Hicks, Marci Reid and Haley Swindal Tantleff, Amarillo Association of Realtors, Junior League of Amarillo, Panhandle Regional Advisory Council, City of Amarillo Emergency Management Office and an anonymous donor.
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