UISD approves modified compensation package with split 3-2 vote

United Independent School District trustees approved a modified 2026-27 compensation package in a 3-2 vote on June 18, moving ahead with pay changes that district leaders said were needed to help close a remaining budget gap before the new school year.

The decision came after weeks of public and board debate over how to balance employee compensation with a district budget under pressure from declining enrollment, lower state funding and earlier cost-saving steps.

District leaders said the projected shortfall had already been reduced from about $28 million to about $7.3 million before the vote. The district said that decline reflected staffing reductions, other cost-saving initiatives and the consolidation of Matias De Llano Elementary and Amparo Gutierrez Elementary.

What the board approved

The approved package cuts priority II stipends in half, removes advanced degree stipends, reduces contract days by two for non-campus professionals and lowers substitute teacher pay by $4 an hour.

District officials said the action does not change base teacher salaries. The changes were described as adjustments to supplemental pay rather than a cut to the core pay scale for classroom instructors.

The board had previously discussed versions of the plan that could have produced roughly $2.4 million to $3.3 million in savings, depending on how many contract days were removed. The modified package was the version trustees chose to advance.

Why trustees acted now

Earlier reporting showed UISD was trying to notify employees of compensation changes before a June 28 deadline. That timing added pressure to reach a decision even as disagreement remained over how deep the reductions should be.

The board had tabled an earlier compensation vote after pushback from teachers and some trustees. The final 3-2 decision reflected an effort to keep the process moving while still revising the original proposal.

Board members who supported the package said the district needed to act on the remaining gap. Those who opposed it argued the cuts were still not enough or said the decision should have waited until a full board was present.

Broader budget context

The compensation vote is part of a wider budget response at UISD. The district has already taken other steps to reduce spending, including staffing reductions and school closures.

Those earlier moves are important because they show the compensation package was not the district's first attempt to narrow the deficit. Instead, it was one more piece of a larger plan to keep the 2026-27 budget on track.

The stakes are not only fiscal. The changes affect how the district compensates employees heading into the next school year, with possible implications for morale, retention and recruitment.

What remains unresolved

Even with the vote, UISD has not said the remaining budget gap is fully closed. District officials may still finalize and distribute the compensation details to staff, and later budget updates could show whether additional savings are needed.

That leaves the board with a clearer short-term path, but not necessarily a final one. More discussion is possible if the approved package does not cover the full remaining shortfall.