Conroe ISD approves targeted pay, no general raises

CONROE, Texas — Conroe Independent School District trustees approved a $638.7 million budget for the 2024-25 school year on June 17, formalizing a lean financial plan that prioritizes recruitment over universal salary increases.

Facing a combination of stagnant state funding and rapid enrollment growth, the board elected to forgo across-the-board pay raises for all employees. Instead, district leadership has implemented a series of targeted adjustments designed to remain competitive in the regional labor market.

The cornerstone of the new compensation plan is an increase to the district’s entry-level teacher salary, which is set to rise to $62,000. District officials framed this move as a strategic necessity to attract new talent to the growing district, which currently serves over 70,000 students.

While veteran teachers and staff will not see a uniform cost-of-living adjustment, the plan includes specific raises for roles the district identified as critical. Assistant principals, instructional coaches, librarians, counselors, diagnosticians, and speech pathologists are slated for a 1-2% salary increase. Additionally, a 2% raise was approved for essential support staff, including police officers, custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, and clerical personnel.

The adjustments, which total approximately $13.5 million in new expenditures, come as the district navigates a significant fiscal shortfall. Superintendent Dr. Curtis Null confirmed that the district anticipates a $22 million deficit for the upcoming year, largely driven by the Texas Legislature’s inaction on public education funding during the 2023 session.

Conroe ISD estimates it will lose roughly $26.8 million in state funding for the 2024-25 school year. Despite the basic allotment remaining flat—meaning the state’s per-student funding has not kept pace with inflation—the district continues to add between 2,000 and 3,000 students annually.

"The funding climate at the state level has created a challenging landscape for fast-growth districts like ours," Dr. Null stated following the meeting. "We are committed to fiscal responsibility, but we are also forced to make very difficult decisions to ensure our classrooms remain staffed and our operations continue to function at the level our community expects."

To prepare for this budget, the district began streamlining operations earlier this year. Through a combination of attrition, retirement incentives, and internal reassignments, the district reduced its workforce by approximately 120 positions. These proactive measures were taken to avoid layoffs while attempting to balance the budget.

District officials were clear that while the 2024-25 plan is sustainable in the short term, it is not a long-term solution. Dr. Null emphasized that without an increase to the basic allotment from the Texas Legislature when it convenes in 2025, future compensation plans will face even greater scrutiny.

The budget approval follows a series of public workshops where trustees reviewed revenue projections and tax rate impacts. While the district is managing a deficit, the board is expected to finalize the specific tax rate later this summer.

For further information regarding the district’s financial reports, budget presentations, or the full 2024-25 compensation schedule, residents can visit the Conroe ISD Financial Transparency portal at https://www.conroeisd.net.