- \n
- Classroom teachers (0-2 years experience) and all other staff: 3% salary increase<\/li>\n
- Classroom teachers (3-4 years experience): $2,500 raise; 4%-5% salary increase<\/li>\n
- Classroom teachers (5+ years experience): $5,000 raise; 6%-8% salary increase<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Keller ISD will receive about $8.4 million for classroom teacher raises under the law, but it will cost the district an estimated $9.8 million once benefits are included. That leaves a shortfall of nearly $1.35 million.<\/p>\n
Allison said the district plans to cover that gap and go further: offering 3% raises to all other employees not covered by HB 2, including librarians, nurses, custodians and paraprofessionals.<\/p>\n
The salary increases mark the first meaningful raises for Keller ISD employees in several years, Allison said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can now do what we need to do for our teachers and our staff,\u201d said Superintendent-designate Cory Wilson, who was named lone finalist for the district\u2019s top job earlier in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Wilson and Allison criticized the Texas Legislature for limiting local control over how districts can spend the new funds. While the House\u2019s proposal offered greater flexibility, the Senate\u2019s version \u2014 ultimately adopted \u2014 tied much of the money to specific uses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really took away the discretionary ability local school boards had to make those decisions,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
Adding to the challenge: Keller ISD expects to lose 450 students during the 2025-26 school year, a decline that will reduce revenue by more than $2 million.<\/p>\n
And while HB 2 included a $55 increase in per-student funding, Allison said it falls far short of keeping up with inflation. Public education funding has remained largely unchanged since 2019, despite rising costs for utilities, insurance and staffing, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo get us back to flat \u2026 we would have needed roughly another $1,000 just to tread water,\u201d he said. \u201cSo while we appreciate the $55, it\u2019s woefully short of providing what districts need for their operating expenses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Allison noted that HB 2 froze increases to property tax revenue growth to help fund the per-student funding increase, resulting in a net loss of more than $2.5 million for Keller ISD.<\/p>\n
While lawmakers touted major investments in early childhood and special education, district officials said many of those dollars were either repackaged or delayed.<\/p>\n
Keller ISD expects to receive nearly $500,000 for early learning, but Allison said it won\u2019t entirely fund full-day pre-K, nor will it provide new money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really just rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic,\u201d Allison said.<\/p>\n
For special education, the district anticipates $1.2 million in reimbursement funding and a new intensity-based funding model beginning in 2026. But Allison warned that similar systems in other states have led to rising costs and eventual caps on reimbursement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of questions on how and when, and in what fashion, we\u2019ll receive some of that funding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Allison and Wilson emphasized that the $348 million proposal relies on conservative projections and does not include revenue the district is unsure it will receive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to add anything additional to our budget until we can guarantee that the money is going to come in,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
The district will likely bring budget amendments as early as the fall, once the Texas Education Agency provides further guidance, Allison said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He estimates the budget could increase by $2 million to $3 million after final revenue details are clarified \u2014 but not enough to dramatically expand discretionary spending.<\/p>\n
Keller ISD\u2019s operating reserves are expected to remain at about $47 million, or roughly 13.5% of the total budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s below the state-recommended 25% threshold.<\/p>\n
Trustees are scheduled to vote on the final 2025-26 school year budget at their June 26 meeting.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how Keller ISD closed the gap<\/p>\n
\u25aa Closed early learning centers and moved pre-K students to elementary campuses.
\u25aa Cut non-mandated transportation routes.
\u25aa Eliminated the employee child care (KEEP) program.
\u25aa Closed the employee wellness clinic.
\u25aa Relied on retirements and attrition to manage staffing changes.
\u25aa Used HB 2 teacher funding to cover state-mandated raises.
\u25aa Saw lower-than-expected costs for insurance and utilities.<\/p>\nMatthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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