EPISD approves budget amid financial uncertainty with 2% pay raise for staff

EL PASO, Texas -- Despite financial uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, the El Paso Independent School District on Tuesday adopted a nearly $550 million budget for the coming year that includes pay raises.

The budget approved by EPISD's Board of Trustees includes a 2% salary hike for all of the district's teachers and employees for the 2020-2021 school year.

The wage increases, touted by an EPISD spokesmen as "some good news for our employees" during the pandemic, will amount to about $10 million of the overall budget.

EPISD employees such as librarians and teachers will receive a general 2% increase from their current salaries. The starting teacher salary in the district will now be $52,750.

Superintendent Juan Cabrera acknowledged "that the financial outlook for the country is unclear given the impact of Covid-19," but he added that the district, nonetheless, wanted "to adequately compensate the employees who have gone above and beyond in serving our students during the pandemic.”