Board discusses additional stipends for hourly employees

By LOUIE DIAZ
editor@sbnewspaper.com

The San Benito CISD Board of Trustees discussed revisions to the 2021-2022 compensation plan and to board policy during an administrative committee meeting on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Dr. Andrea Cruz, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, presented the revisions to the compensation plan. A major revision to the plan included a new stipend for all full-time hourly employees. A new item, the Covid Recovery of Continuity of Employment stipend was added to the compensation plan. The new stipend will be $500 and available to full-time hourly employees.
Additionally, the Covid Recovery Stipend was clarified for all full-time personnel. A COVID-19 Retention for Returning Teachers stipend will be added to the compensation plan. The stipend is only available to Project Rise campuses which is Miller Jordan Middle School.
Trustee Janie Lopez asked about the 1.5% pay raise for hourly staff that was discussed during a previous meeting.
Vicky Saldana, the Assistant Superintendent of Finance Services, answered that a 1.5% increase for just hourly staff would cost about $288,000 which would affect the planned budget. The board’s decision to increase police in campuses would plus the increase in pay would push them over the local fund balance.
“If we are going to be doing a 1.5 [percent] increase and the cost of the police department we are looking at about $435,000 that we are going to half to cut somewhere,” Saldana said.
She explained that hourly employees would benefit more from the $500 federal stipend rather than the 1.5% pay increase.
“We would be at a much better position to compensate the employees at a higher rate and not affect the local budget,” Saldana said.

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