Reflects 10.73% decrease from last year; District remains fiscally sound
AISD Trustees approve 2024-25 budget, pay raises for all employees, increase in starting teacher salary
By Mike Keeney
The Aldine ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve a $723,749,275 million budget for the 2024-2025 school year, a decrease of 10.73% from the previous year, during its June 11 Board of Education meeting. Included in the 2024- 24 budget is a pay raise of 1.5% for all full-time Aldine ISD employees. In addition, Aldine ISD Trustees approved raising the starting teacher salary for certified teachers from $61,000 to $64,000.
In addition to approving the 2024-25 budget, Trustees also approved the tax rate for the upcoming school year. Chief Financial Officer Stan Osborne recommended the 2023-25 tax rate be set at $1.0363 (.3025 cents for the Interest and Sinking fund and $0.73380 cents for the Maintenance and Operation fund) per $100 valuation.
The 2024-25 tax rate is the same as the 20232- 24 tax rate. The 2024-25 new budget reflects challenges affecting many school districts, such as a lack of state and federal funding, declining enrollment, and inflation. Despite these challenges, thanks to the entire Aldine team’s continued foresight and planning, full-time employees and incoming teachers will receive additional compensation for their continued commitment and dedication to ensuring that Aldine ISD students receive a dynamic and unparalleled education that guarantees choices and opportunities not only today but in the future.
The 2024-2025 District budget also includes:
•an additional adjustment for certified teachers with seven to 27 years of experience
•salary adjustments across various employee groups, including principals, assistant principals, directors, and executive directors.
The increases reflect the Board’s ongoing commitment to its employees. The salary adjustments ensure the district has market competitive salaries to recruit and retain the best teachers and staff for Aldine students.
“As a team, we are pleased we could reward our hard-working employees for their dedication to our students and the district,” said Aldine ISD Board President Dr. Kimberly Booker. “Thanks to Dr. Goffney and her leadership team, our district is in sound financial shape.”
Aldine ISD leaders have spent much time diligently examining district expenses and commitments to ensure that their resources are prioritized in ways that benefit its students. Budgeting is a collaborative effort, and every leader in the district has played a vital role in finding ways to optimize expenses. This process included thoroughly reviewing and auditing programs and software, evaluating travel and partnerships, rightsizing staffing and eliminating vacancies, closing three campuses, and adjusting boundaries.
These collective efforts have led to a roughly 10% decrease in department budgets and adjusted staffing across the district, which meant eliminating 80 teaching positions and 20 administrative positions. Each of these adjustments will ensure that resources are pointed in the right direction.
Aldine ISD has a history of being fiscally healthy and remains deeply committed to fiscal stewardship and instructional excellence. As A New Way Forward, the district’s five-year plan sunsets, and a new plan is ushered in, our budget will continue to support resources needed to accelerate towards even greater achievements in student success.
“I want to thank our Trustees for their recognition of the hard work our staff puts in on a daily basis,” said Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney. “A huge thanks also goes to all of the teams and leaders, who have reviewed where we’re at and where adjustments need to be made, enabling us to trim our budget strategically. Indeed, this year’s budgeting process was done with a scalpel rather than a hatchet. We know that while small, each of these adjustments will ensure the resources we do have are pointed in the right direction.”
The salary increases and adjustment do not include temporary employees, substitute teachers or contractors.
About Aldine ISD
Aldine Independent School District is one of the largest school districts in Texas, spanning 111 square miles in North Harris County. Approximately 9,000 employees serve nearly 60,000 students to provide a rigorous and enriching educational experience that prepares every student for success in college, career, and life.