Clear Creek ISD teachers will see their smallest pay bump in two years after the board of trustees unanimously approved a 1% raise for the 2026-27 school year, less than half the 3% increase employees received last year.
The vote came Monday, July 27, at the district's boardroom at 2425 E. Main St. in League City, with trustees unanimously approving the compensation plan despite acknowledging it falls short of inflation.
Under the plan, teachers receive a 1% base increase plus salary step adjustments that give higher pay based on tenure. Paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff get a 2% raise, other staff members get 1%, and substitute teachers receive a $5 per day increase.
Robert Branch, CCISD's assistant superintendent of human resources, told the board that paying teachers more is critical to retaining high-quality educators but acknowledged the approved increases do not fully offset current inflation levels, Community Impact reported.
The raises come as the district faces a projected $23.4 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2026-27, growing to $28.5 million by 2027-28. Enrollment has dropped roughly 8.5% since 2019, costing CCISD about $28 million annually in state funding. Meanwhile, special education enrollment has climbed more than 38%, adding $16.3 million in expenses, according to district documents presented at the board's July 13 workshop.
State per-pupil funding sat frozen at $6,160 from the 2020-21 school year through 2024-25 before rising to $6,215 for 2025-26. With inflation up 20% since 2019, the allotment would need to reach roughly $7,500 per student to match 2019 purchasing power.
To close the gap, the district is also considering reducing payroll costs by 2% through attrition, optimizing facilities based on enrollment, and selling or leasing underutilized land.
» Watch the meeting on the CCISD YouTube channel
Trustee Jay Cunningham said restoring salary step adjustments this year would be key for teacher retention. Trustee Arturo Sanchez urged residents to press state lawmakers for more school funding.
"We really invite our community to engage in discussions with their state elected officials," Sanchez said at the meeting. "While we all appreciate lower taxes ... we also appreciate an environment where students can learn and thrive."
The board is still weighing whether to call a $19.1 million voter-approved tax rate election to help close the gap. That decision has not been made. If the board calls a VATRE, it must publish notice by Friday, August 7.
CCISD will hold a public hearing Monday, August 24, at the district boardroom to discuss and adopt the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and proposed tax rate, which would remain unchanged from the previous two years.
