Dear Team AISD,

As the winter break approaches, we are coming together to provide you with an update on compensation.  As part of AISD’s consultation process, the district and Education Austin worked together to reach an agreement about compensation earlier this year. 

Every regular full-time and part-time employee will continue to receive last year’s temporary 3 percent salary adjustment, which is pensionable. On top of this increase, every regular full-time and part-time employee who qualifies for benefits will also receive the equivalent of an additional 1.5 percent increase based on current annualized salary, which is not pensionable. The first half of the 1.5 percent lump sum will be paid in January 2014 and the second half will be paid in May 2014. Please know that these funds are already in this year’s approved budget and this will not change.   

To help demonstrate how these changes will impact you, please see the example below based on a teacher with an average annual salary of $50,000:

January payment

• In January, the teacher will receive a payment of $50,000 x 0.75% (first half of 1.5% payment)=$375

May payment

• In May, the same teacher will receive a payment of $50,000 x 0.75% (second half of 1.5% payment)=$375

•  The two payments together result in a total of $750 to that teacher.

However, we also want to inform you that, despite our best efforts, we are unable to find the additional $2.4 million in savings that we had hoped for in August, to provide our teachers with the additional amount necessary beyond their 1.5 percent lump sums to total at least $1,000.

We hope that you will continue to work with us as we develop budgetary options for the upcoming years.

Thank you for all that you do.

Meria Carstarphen                                                                      Ken Zarifis

Superintendent, Austin Independent School District                        President, Education Austin

Read this message in Spanish.