Magnolia ISD teachers could receive up to $18K annual boost

Magnolia ISD teachers will get a pay boost from $3,400 to more than $18,000 annually after the district received $1.2 million from the Texas Education Agency.

This is the district’s first year it received funds from the Teacher Incentive Allotment, which would provide 450 teachers with an annual compensation ranging from $3,400 to more than $18,400 annually — for five years as long as they remain employed, according to a release by the district.

“We have amazing teachers in our district and are proud of their hard work to earn this distinguished designation,” said Deputy Superintendent Jason Bullock. “We hope this helps us retain those teachers and recruit the best to be part of Magnolia. This is not an easy process, but our teachers deserve it, and they will see the benefits through additional dollars each year and in their retirement.”

In 2019, House Bill 3 was created to make a pathway for high-performing teachers to earn higher salaries while enabling districts to retain teachers on campuses, the district’s release states.

“It is becoming harder each year to keep our campuses fully staffed with highly qualified teachers,” said Chief Academic Officer Brandon Garza in a written statement. “TIA provides districts a pathway to recognize and reward the hard work of highly effective teachers. Teaching is an incredibly challenging job and having our designation system approved will help MISD compensate teachers for their dedication to our students. We hope to designate more teachers each year.”

The district submitted its application to the TEA during the 2021-22 school year and was approved to collect data for the 2022-23 school year, the district’s release states.

This isn’t the only way the district has worked to retain teachers.

In 2023, board members approved an incentive program that would give teaches up to $8,000 as a way to address a statewide staffing shortage for the 2023-24 school year. The program was originally created during the 2021 school year, according to a previous article.

“If you live in the community or surrounding area, you are more than likely invested in our community, and working for MISD is a great way to be connected and make a difference,” said Superintendent Todd Stephens in a previous article.