Though the Lampasas Independent School District Board of Trustees had planned to freeze teacher salaries for the upcoming school year, the board may have no choice but to increase them based on last year’s legislative mandates, according to a ruling by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

For the 2009-2010 term, teachers received a “step increase” -- based on years of experience -- plus $1,008 raise per individual.

Now, school districts are required to fund step increases for the upcoming year. Though teachers likely will not receive the raise, they are entitled to the step increase mandated by law. But just as in the previous year, funds must come from the district’s coffers with no additional state monies to support the increased pay.

“Traditionally, we give a percentage of the midpoint so all teachers get the same thing,” said LISD Board President James Briggs. “But the legislators have tied our hands when they mandated we have to give a step increase.”

Briggs said the district in the future may look at a mid-point range system for teachers. “That gives us more flexibility not to be tied to a step scale,” he said.

“Where’s the money [for raises] going to come from?”

The board president said last year trustees were going to freeze salaries because they had to make more than a half-million dollars in cuts districtwide in an attempt to balance the budget. “And the same thing would have happened this year, but along comes the state giving a raise and taking our money to give it. And here’s another raise the state’s not going to pay for.”

Shane Jones, LISD chief financial officer and director of support services, said the salary increases will cost the district about $150,000.

“This is a real challenge,” said Superintendent Randy Hoyer. “Our intent was to freeze salaries. But there is a morale issue involved here because we have paraprofessionals, custodians and other support staff that are not getting a raise.

“Our teachers got one last year, and they are getting one this year. It creates a morale issue with not only Lampasas ISD, but other school districts across the state. It puts everyone in a tough situation.”

Said the superintendent: “Where do we get the money? Do we make more cuts, or do we dig into the fund balance? Do we give more to teachers and not to other support staff? I would like to take a closer look at this and bring a recommendation back to the board.”

Jones said it would cost from $250,000 to $300,000 to fund a 2.5 percent raise for the district’s support staff.

Trustee Wesley Crow said support personnel haven’t received additional pay in awhile. “And they are the ones who are hurting in this.”

Board member Ron Farr agreed. “I am all for dipping into the fund balance for this. That’s what we put the money there for.”

And, said trustee Linda Floerke, “If we dip into it for teachers, we need to do it for our support staff, too.”

The superintendent said he and other district administrators will look at the numbers to see what the impact would be on the district, and he will bring more information to the board at the August meeting.