Tyler ISD Approves Budget, Raises Staff Pay, No Tax Hike

Tyler ISD Approves $238.2 Million Budget with Employee Raises, No Tax Rate Increase

Tyler, Texas – The Tyler Independent School District's Board of Trustees approved a $238.2 million budget for the 2024-25 school year on Monday night, June 17th. The new fiscal year and budget officially take effect on July 1st.

The approved budget maintains the district's current property tax rate at $0.9458 per $100 valuation. This rate is composed of $0.7558 for maintenance and operations (M&O) and $0.1900 for debt service, ensuring no increase in the tax burden for Tyler residents.

A significant component of the new budget focuses on employee compensation. Teachers, librarians, and nurses are slated to receive an average salary increase of 3% or $2,000, whichever amount is greater. Counselors, instructional coaches, and speech language pathologists will also see an average 3% increase. For district leadership, professional staff, para-professionals, and classified employees, an average 2% salary increase has been approved. Additionally, the minimum wage for all non-exempt employees across the district will be raised to $15.00 per hour, effective July 1st.

The budget comes as Tyler ISD continues to experience student growth, with enrollment increasing by 600 students over the past two years. The district projects approximately 17,700 students for the upcoming academic year. Financial challenges persist, including rising operational costs and the fact that Texas public schools have not received new state funding since 2019, along with impacts from property value-driven recapture.

Despite these challenges, Tyler ISD aims to maintain fiscal stability by keeping its reserve funds stable. The district plans to maintain reserves equivalent to three months of operating expenditures, totaling approximately $59.5 million.