COPPERAS COVE – Emergency repairs to an elementary campus and updates to the CCISD salary schedule were both approved Tuesday.
During a regular meeting of the Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday, trustees approved an increase to the Teacher pay scale and a 3% raise from the midpoint for all administrative, auxiliary and clerical CCISD employees.
With the approval from the board, the starting teacher salary in CCISD increases to $56,000, an increase of $3,000. Through House Bill 2 funding in this year’s legislative session, teachers with more than two years experience will receive a $2,500 increase and teachers with more than five years experience will receive a $5,000 increase.
“One of the first things we put into place after I arrived in January was a staffing and salary study, to make sure we attract and retain the highest-quality staff in every position,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “We are committed to making our salary schedule more competitive as we go and this is just the first step in that process. We also understand that this comes with a responsibility to our community, and we hope they see we are committed to improving student experience, staff retention and doing so while balancing the budget after two years of deficit budgeting.”
Employees should see their increases beginning with their September paycheck.
Trustees also approved a contract with Legefy Roofing, LLC, for the repair of the roof across the Williams/Ledger Elementary campus. This campus sustained extensive damage from recent rains leading to repairs being required both on the roof and inside all three buildings on the campus.
“We are already in the process of mitigating the widespread damage to the Williams/Ledger campus,” Dr. Hawkins said. “However, to fully prepare the campus for students, we know the roof needs this extensive repair. We know that this leaves parents and families with a lot of questions with school starting in just a month. Please know that we should know the extent and length of full repairs by the middle of next week and we will email WLE families and staff directly with any information they need prior to the start of school.”
Trustees also approved updated assignment of the district’s fund balance. Of the approximately $76 million audited fund balance at the end of Fiscal Year 2023-24, approximately $26 million will remain unassigned to cover approximately three months of operating expenses, per TEA guidelines. The remaining $46 million has been assigned as follows: $5 million for previously-approved repairs to the CCHS auditorium, CCHS roof and S.C. Lee Jr. High elevator as well as the recent staff retention incentive, $6 million to offset the current fiscal year’s budget deficit, $11 million to cover district insurance deductibles, $7.5 million for deferred maintenance expenses, $1 million for repairs to Williams/Ledger Elementary, approximately $16.9 million for new construction projects and $2.5 million for needed renovations.
This commitment of fund balance simply allocates money to cover necessary expenses that can’t be handled through the district’s general operating budget, it does not include any immediate impact to taxpayers.
Trustees are next scheduled to hold their regular August workshop and meeting. The workshop is scheduled for Noon on Aug. 11th with the regular meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 12th. Both meetings will take place in the Board Room at the District Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas for each meeting are posted outside the District Service & Training Center 72 hours prior to each meeting. Once posted, they can also be viewed on the School Board page of the district website.
Meetings are recorded and uploaded to the CCISD YouTube channel within 48 hours of adjournment.