For School Year 2019-20
TEA Calculates HB3 School Pay Hike Data
Gov. Abbott and TEA released (Oct. 29) a report and individual district data, showing significant pay raises for Texas teachers for the 2019-20 school year as a result of 2019’s HB3. (See the press release, the summary report and individual district data.)
Report highlights:
- Statewide salary gains amounted to $1.17 billion for teachers, nurses, librarians and counselors.
- On average, the pay for teachers with 0 to 5 years of experience increased by $3,839, and teachers with more than five years experience received, on average, pay hikes amounting to $5,215.
An initial analysis of the data by the Association of Texas Professional Educators reflected that there were higher average raises in rural areas and in smaller districts across the state.
Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) President Ovidia Molina stated that while her association is glad that Texas teachers finally received long overdue pay raises from the Legislature in 2019, the average teacher pay in Texas continues to lag well behind the national average, as reflected in data compiled by the TSTA-affiliated National Education Association.
Molina said that data reflects that even with using the state’s salary figures, Texas teachers with more than five years’ experience are still paid, on average, more than $4,300 less than the national average for all teachers, and less-experienced Texas teachers are paid more than $5,000 less.
Meanwhile, as health insurance costs have increased, the state hasn’t increased its share of the $75 monthly contribution to school employee health insurance premiums in nearly 20 years, which has served to continue to erode Texas educators take-home pay as health care costs have increased, Molina added.
The TEA-released data includes breakouts by education service center region, by district enrollment size, and by district.