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TASB News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2008
CONTACT: Mary Elizabeth Barrett, 800.580.8272, ext. 6421

Teacher Salary Survey Released

(AUSTIN) – Teacher salaries are up slightly according to the 2007–08 Salaries and Benefits in Texas Public Schools Teacher Report recently released by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). The TASB/TASA survey, conducted annually by the TASB HR Services Division, is the second of a series of five that is the most definitive study of compensation and benefits practices in Texas. This information is used by policy makers at the local and state levels to make decisions about educator pay and benefits.

Of the 1,031 public school districts asked to participate in the survey, 747 districts responded, representing 72 percent of total districts in the state.

This survey includes 93 percent (295,418) of the estimated total population of teachers in Texas public schools. Based on a projected growth rate of 2.0 percent, it is estimated that 317,886 teachers are employed in Texas in 2007–08. Sixty-nine percent of teachers (202,633) represented in the survey work in school districts with more than 10,000 students. All but two of the 93 districts statewide in this enrollment category provided teacher salary data for this survey.

Teacher Salaries

The weighted average teacher salary in responding districts is $46,336 for 2007–08, up 3.2 percent from the 2006–07 average salary of $44,897.

1. The weighted average salary in districts with more than 10,000 students is $47,917. Sixty-nine percent of teachers in the survey sample work in these districts.
2. Weighted average salaries by enrollment size range from $38,922 in districts with less than 500 students to $49,296 in districts with more than 50,000 students.
3. Region XX (San Antonio) has the highest weighted average salary for 2007–08 at $48,833. This is a change from last year, when Region XI (Fort Worth) had the highest weighted average salary.
4. Region VIII (Mount Pleasant) has the lowest weighted average salary at $39,702 and is the only region with an average salary below $40,000. Only 1.3 percent of teachers in the sample work in Region VIII districts.

Pay Increases

Average pay increases dropped for all employee groups over last year, including teachers. While the average teacher salary increased by 3.2 percent, school districts spent an average of 3.5 percent on pay increases for returning teachers this year, down from 8.6 percent last year. In 2006–07 the legislature provided dedicated funding for a $2,500 pay raise for teachers. This year the legislature provided funding for an average pay raise of only $425 per teacher.

Ten districts provided pay increases to teachers only and excluded all other district employees. Sixty-two districts (8 percent) provided no pay increases to administrators this year. Administrators and professional support employees received the lowest average pay increase at 3.3 percent. Clerical/paraprofessional and auxiliary personnel saw the largest increase at 3.9 and 4.0 percent, respectively.

Starting Pay

The average starting salary for a new teacher is $33,105, a 2.6 percent increase from the 2006–07 average of $32,266. This year’s average starting salary is 21 percent higher than the state minimum starting salary of $27,320. The average starting salary in districts with more than 10,000 students is $41,104, a 4.2 percent increase from last year.

1. 115 responding districts (15 percent) have an entry-level salary of $40,000 or greater. These districts employ 176,584 teachers, or 60 percent of teachers in the sample.
2. The average starting teacher salary for districts with enrollment greater than 50,000 students is $42,557.
3. Sixty-five districts (9 percent) pay teachers on the state minimum teacher salary schedule. These sixty-five districts employ less than one percent of teachers (2,395) in the sample.

Highest Salaries

The average highest salary paid to 10-month teachers with a bachelor’s degree is $52,477. The average highest salary paid in districts with more than 10,000 students is $65,201. Districts with more than 50,000 students have the highest top salaries paid at $68,364 on average.

Shortage Stipends

Sixty percent of respondents (446 districts) pay shortage stipends to teachers, up from 53 percent in 2006–07. This is the most significant increase in the use of shortage stipends seen in one year. Most districts (83 percent) with more than 3,000 students pay critical shortage stipends in at least one area. The number of districts paying a stipend increased by 11 percent or more in every shortage area, except for English as a Second Language (ESL). The number of districts paying an ESL stipend increased by only 4 percent. Stipend information is collected for math, science, bilingual education, foreign language, ESL, and special education.

1. Mathematics is the most frequently reported stipend paid with 57 percent (256 districts) paying a stipend in this area. In previous years, stipends for bilingual education were the most frequently paid. The number of districts paying a stipend to math teachers increased by 25 percent from 2006–07.
2. The average math stipend paid is $1,998, an increase of 17 percent from 2006–07.
3. The number of districts paying a science stipend jumped by 40 percent to 218 districts. The average science stipend ($1,857) increased 18 percent.
4. Bilingual education is the second most frequently used stipend with 54 percent (243 districts) paying, and remains the highest stipend at $2,398 on average.

Campus Assignment Stipends

Twenty-eight districts (4 percent) pay stipends to teachers for taking an assignment at a hard-to-staff campus. The average stipend is $2,090. There is wide variation in the amounts paid and the regional location of these districts. Campus assignment stipends range from $500 up to $6,000, and are used in 13 of the 20 Education Service Center regions of the state. Student enrollment in these districts range from under 1,000 students to over 100,000 students.

Master’s Degree Stipends

Sixty-two percent of districts (465) pay stipends to teachers with master’s degrees, up slightly from 2006–07. Most districts (92 percent) pay a single-rate stipend above the base teacher salary schedule. The average degree stipend in these districts is $1,140, up 2 percent from last year’s average of $1,119.

1. 97 percent of districts with enrollments greater than 5,000 pay stipends to teachers with master’s degrees.

Hiring Bonuses

Thirteen percent of districts (100) paid a bonus to new hires for 2007–08, up from 11 percent last year. Most of these districts (73 percent) pay hiring bonuses to teachers in hard-to-fill areas only. Mathematics and science are the most frequently noted fields where hiring bonuses were paid.

1. The average hiring bonus paid is $2,100, up 2 percent from 2006–07.
2. Districts provided hiring bonuses to 3,075 teachers for 2007–08.
3. Nearly one-third (32 percent) of districts with enrollments greater than 10,000 pay hiring bonuses. All but four of these districts pay bonuses for hard-to-fill positions only.

Longevity Pay

Fourteen percent of districts (102) offer local longevity pay for service in their district, the same as reported in 2006–07. Districts use a variety of methods to give extra pay for local service. Some use a sliding scale with increased amounts for each year of local service, while others pay one-time bonuses as certain milestones are attained. On average, the years of local service required to be eligible for longevity pay is 6 years. There is a wide range in the amounts paid and service required for eligibility. Some districts reward employees for each year in the district starting with the first while others require as many as 20 years of local service before an employee is eligible.

Other Stipends

Thirty-two percent of districts (235) pay stipends to mentor teachers, an increase over last year when 28 percent paid stipends to mentor teachers. The average stipend paid increased 20 percent from last year to $570. Most districts (67 percent) pay between $250 and $500. Sixty-four percent of districts with more than 10,000 students pay stipends to mentor teachers. The average stipend amount in districts with more than 10,000 students is $576.

Eighteen districts (2 percent) pay stipends to teachers with National Board Certification® from the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards. The average stipend paid is $2,177. Four of these districts also reimburse expenses to teachers for pursuing the certification. Ten districts reimburse expenses for teachers pursuing National Board Certification but do not pay stipends to teachers that hold certification.

Performance Incentive Plans

Twenty-seven percent of districts (198) reported that the district had a performance incentive plan in place. Most of those plans (72 percent) are part of the state’s Educator Excellence Award programs. The remaining 55 districts have a locally-devised and funded performance incentive plan and represent 7 percent of the survey sample.

Of the reported performance incentive plans, nearly all (97 percent) reward teachers. Paraprofessional staff and campus administrators are included in 80 percent of the reported plans. Central office-based administrators are only included in 35 percent of the incentive plans. The award criteria in most plans (88 percent) is student performance, though many districts reported a combination of criteria including staff attendance or participation on campus teams.

This report is a compilation of salary information for classroom teachers collected by TASB HR Services during the fall of the 2007–08 school year. The survey questionnaire was mailed to the 1,031 Texas school districts as part of the annual survey process. Survey data collected covers teacher salaries, hiring schedules, degree stipends, shortage stipends, substitute teacher pay rates, and other teacher pay practices.

The data in this report are provided to help districts recruit, retain, and reward teachers through the development of competitive compensation plans. This report is the second in a series of five reports on compensation and benefits practices in Texas public school districts. Other reports address superintendent salaries; administrative and professional salaries; paraprofessional, technical, and hourly employee pay; and employee benefits and supplemental pay for extra-duties.

TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state.