Harlingen cuts $2 million in software costs; expands teacher incentive program

HARLINGEN — School district officials are cutting about $2 million in software costs as they plan their new budget expected to come with employee raises and an expanded teacher incentive program.

Now, officials are continuing to review the district’s proposed budgets while working with the human services and payroll departments to develop the new compensation plan.

“We’re projecting final budget numbers, we’re studying options for all staff members, preparing multiple scenarios and keeping track of our pending state legislation for additional resources,” Ida Ambriz, the district’s interim assistant superintendent of business services, told board members during a meeting Tuesday.

Across the state, the focus is on Senate Bill 26, passed by the Senate while awaiting House approval, expected to bring $5 billion in state funding earmarked for teacher raises.

As part of the bill, teachers with at least three years of service are projected to receive $2,500 raises while those with five or more years are expected to get $5,500.

Meanwhile, the bill’s expected to expand the state’s teacher merit pay program, known as the Teacher Incentive Allotment, which offers bonuses based on classroom performance and student achievement.

Across Texas, the state’s selected the district to become one of six tapped as part of the TIA’s expansion, officials said.

Now, 715 district teachers are eligible for the program whose expansion is expected to open up to at least 586 more teachers, they said.

“This is a way to reward excellence in education with our teachers,” Robert Davies, the district’s athletic director, told board members. “Teachers who choose to participate in the program essentially earn distinction for their abilities.”

The program’s also aimed at helping recruit teachers.

“This is a way for us as a school district to be able to recruit and retain the best and brightest in the state, maybe even in the country,” Davies said. “Imagine a whole school district filled with people like that, with those types of thoughts going on in their heads, being able to reach our kids. This is going to help us do that.”

This year, 426 teachers became TIA designees, Dalia Garcia, the district’s assistant superintendent for instructional education, told board members.

“We are bringing in about $5 million for the district in designation awards,” she said.

The incentive program here is topping districts across South Texas, school board member Ricky Leal said.

“This is awesome,” he said. “I would think that HCISD, pound for pound, is bringing home more TIA certifications than, I would venture to say, all of South Texas,” he said, before pointing to the program’s expansion.

“This will enhance that,” Leal said.

As they plan next year’s budget, officials are working to cut expenses across the district.

In areas such as instructional software purchases and license renewals, they’re projecting $1.17 million in savings, Garcia told board members.

As part of a needs assessment, officials are “reviewing usability, cost effectiveness, alignment and looking at the potential overlap of services,” she said.

While working on the new budget’s software license renewals, they’re planning $98,931 in savings, Garcia said.

“That’s $1.1 million, $1.2 million going back to our people,” Leal said. “You’re making that happen.”

Earlier in the school year, officials cut at least $7.2 million under the district’s new fiscal plan, aiming to rebuild the budget’s fund balance after former Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez’s administration pulled $23.2 million in cash reserves to cover operating costs including unbudgeted expenses.

“It gives this board confidence that we’re being fiscally responsible and being prudent with all our taxpayer money and using our dollars more effectively and efficiently towards instruction and towards the benefit of our students,” board member Dr. Nolan Perez told officials.

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