Comal ISD board approves pay increase for district employees for 2025-26 school year

COMAL COUNTY, Texas – The Comal Independent School District board of trustees approved pay increases for all teachers and staff members on Thursday, according to a news release.

The raises are part of the district’s $341 million budget for the 2025-26 school year and were made possible by Texas House Bill 2 and the Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA).

“We value every member of the Comal ISD staff and the dedication they bring to shaping the future of our students,” Comal ISD board President Russ Garner said in the release, in part.

The breakdown of the raises is as follows:

• $2,500 salary increase for teachers with at least three to four years of experience

• $5,000 salary increase for teachers with five or more years of experience

• 3% pay increase for teachers with less than three years of experience

• 3% pay increase for other staff members who do not qualify for TRA

The release states the budget aims to meet the academic needs of more than 30,000 students and is based on a maintenance and operations tax rate of $0.7369, which will be approved at the August board meeting.

While HB 2 provided an additional $8.5 billion in funding for public schools, the release states the district is one of the “few districts in the state that is realizing an unanticipated funding shortfall.”

“Unfortunately, HB 2 resulted in some unintended consequences for Comal ISD that significantly impact our funding, specifically the ability to cover the mandated retention payment and the accompanying payroll and retirement contributions,” said Comal ISD Superintendent John Chapman.

Comal ISD faces an unexpected $19 million deficit for the upcoming school year, according to the release.

“We are actively working with the Texas Commissioner of Education to exercise his authority to modify the entitlement calculations through administrative rules, which would significantly reduce our budget deficit,” Chapman said.

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