School Board questioning lack of pay raises for teachers, staff

A.D.Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

     The EPISD Board of Trustees met on Thursday evening in its first of two budget workshops at the DSC Board Room.  Administrators, board members, members of the district's Budget Committee were present.

     Executive Director of Finance Ismael Mijares made his annual state of the district presentation and informed those present of the fact that the district presently has a $13.6 million fund balance as the 2012-13 Fiscal Year comes to an end.  Mijares is projecting an ending fund balance of $18.5 million in 2013-14 with estimated revenues in the range of $3.6 million. 

     He was discussing the new insurance policy and procedures citing that, "Teachers are going to be very, very happy" as he highlighted details which will allow district employees to avoid having to pay deductibles for medications should they choose to use generic brands.

     Mijares mentioned that medications will be cheaper under the new plan should employees choose to go the generic route.  If not, then the employee will have to pay the deductible.

     A memo to this effect is going out to all employees as you read this as he said this is good news and a positive initiative which he knows will be welcomed.

     His satisfaction was short-lived as board members began firing a battery of concerns at the district's top financial administrator which began with a question in relation to salary increases by Trustee Lupita Fuentes.

     Superintendent Gilbert Gonzalez was posed the question to which he responded that he didn't feel he could respond as it was not in this evening's agenda and Mijares fielded the question by saying that procedure is to hear out all board member concerns at this juncture and then Gonzalez would have the opportunity to look at them and make a decision by the next budget workshop which in this case will be August 12th.

     This is where the discussion began in reference for the need of a salary increase which has been non-existent in recent memory.

     Fuentes began by voicing her concern over an increase given to certain track coaches at the end of last year, stating that, "We're sending the wrong message to our teachers," implying that the only personnel who have seen any kind of an increase have been coaches and that she feels academics have been overlooked in favor of athletics.

     Trustee Ramon Ramirez stated that he did a study of board policy with respect to coaching salaries and additional days in surrounding districts such as Judson, East Central, Northside ISD and Del Rio when Mijares posted EPISD's policy on the overhead projector stating that our policy is based on TASB specifications and that it's up to the governing body to set these policies and procedures to which Board President Ignacio Saucedo said they had to go back and re-visit this policy.

     Fuentes added that one coach in particular makes a stipend of $6,000 for one sport, another $6,000 for another, $4,500 for another, does UIL and makes a $74,000.00 salary which she said is more than some principals make.

     J. Rodriguez, a member of the Budget Committee and a teacher at Seco Mines Elementary, speaking on behalf of all teachers, paraprofessionals and staff said, "This goes along with the perception that only a certain group is getting increases and it wasn't in the budget process, I think it's important that you know that."

     "If one of my members wants to put an item on the agenda, they can," said Saucedo in response to Mr. Rodriguez' comment directed to him, "I agree it's long overdue and it's more than fair and your concern doesn't fall on deaf ears."

     "Coaches are getting stipends and additional days and they're not only coaching but also doing UIL," added Fuentes, "What's the quality of work they are doing?  They have astronomical salaries and we're not doing anything extra for UIL.  I think we should have waited for the budget process.  Everybody's hurting and teachers have been punished a year more."

     Assistant Superintendent Lalo Treviño explained that teachers are on an 183 day contract, coaches are working more days so they go in earlier.  "When it gets out of hand is when you have sports like volleyball which start before the school year does, but there's some in the middle of the year, they try to give them days within the year, but they're already getting a stipend.  We need justification to compensate for these days.  Coaches are working those days, they get paid for the days that they work.  There's some that only have their salary, as long as it's justifiable."

     All in all it seems as though board members are seeking for Mr. Gonzalez to return to the next budget workshop with a salary increase for all employees when he gives his yearly budget report.