GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — As teachers and staff head back to campus for another school year in Georgetown Independent School District, they’ll be doing so knowing more money will be in their paychecks.
Ten days before the first day of school, the school board approved raises for the entire staff.
Teachers with five or more years of experience are getting $5,000, while those with three to four years are getting $2,500. Those who’ve been with the district for 1-2 years are getting a $1,000 raise, while first-year teachers will see the starting salary jump from $56,500 to $57,000.
All other district employees will receive a 2% salary increase based on the midpoint of their pay grade.
Third-year Superintendent Dr. Devin Padavil said those raises are helping the district start the school year with the highest staffing levels since he started.
Padavil talked with KXAN about the raises, new laws passed by the state legislature, and the district’s “C” rating from the Texas Education Agency.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Tom Miller: In the most recent state accountability ratings, Georgetown ISD got a “C” rating. How does that sit with you? And what are you doing to improve on that?
Padavil: It doesn’t sit with me, because we have talented kids. We have amazing teachers in Georgetown. I’ve never worked somewhere where I saw people care as deeply and who are as committed to seeing students be successful. But, we know the translation between great instruction in the classroom, and great performance on end-of-year tests, there’s a little bit of a divide. So we have to close that gap through challenging tasks, responding to data in a timely manner, and making sure that our staff is getting the feedback to move students to where they need to be. I want our state ratings to reflect the incredible individuals who work in our classrooms every single day.
Miller: You’ve told me in the past that there wasn’t enough money coming from the state. This year is different, with $8.5 billion spread out across all districts. What is Georgetown ISD going to do with that extra money?
Padavil: Our board is taking action to do compensation increases for every employee in Georgetown. It’s so that we can make sure we’re keeping up with the cost of living in Georgetown and Central Texas, and at the same time, we know the cost of living continues to increase. Everything from your car insurance to your grocery bill. So we know that the work of figuring out how to find more funds to increase compensation for staff will continue.
Miller: One of the new laws coming from the state legislature has to do with cell phones and keeping them off campus. How are you going to enforce that? And where do you personally stand on that?
Padavil: I think devices are too distracting for our young people in the classroom. We provide a Chromebook or a laptop or an iPad to every single student in Georgetown ISD, so the need to use your cell phone is pretty minimal, but we know what a temptation cell phones are. At the same time, I hate that this is an additional responsibility for our teachers, so our principals are working with staff to ensure we have tight expectations on making sure students aren’t using devices in the classroom. Parents can help us out by, if your kid has a device, put screen time limits on it, close them down during the school day, or just tell your kid to keep their device at home.
Miller: Another law has to do with the Ten Commandments and requiring them in classrooms. Is that something that we’re going to see on the first day of school?
Padavil: We’re currently working through that interpretation to ensure that we follow the letter of the law. At the same time, there’s a little bit of a difference of opinion on, do we rely on donations first, or do we mass produce these, which we don’t have the funding for. We will comply with the law to make sure that the Ten Commandments, and I believe the exact dimensions have to be 16 inches by 20 inches, are in every single classroom in a timely manner.
Miller: As you kick off another school year, what are your priorities going into 2025?
Padavil: The number one reason schools exist is student learning, growth and progress. So our number one priority is, how can we amp up the level of academic challenge so that student results, student learning, and what students have evidence of that they can do in school, continues to increase. My vision as superintendent is that every kid crossing the stage at graduation has the confidence to take on life after high school. You get that confidence by doing challenging things in high school, in middle school and in elementary school.
Miller: What are you excited about in Georgetown ISD?
Padavil: We opened a career and technical education center that we call the Future Ready Complex. At that building we’re expanding the career and technical education programs. These are programs that can help a student go into college and continue a four-year degree, or they can go directly into the workforce and make a good living. We want to provide both pathways for kids, and one of the ones I’m most excited about is a manufacturing pathway. The manufacturing sector in Central Texas is going to rapidly expand. It’s a great job opportunity for kids as they go through school. It’s an incredible opportunity for families and their children.