June 26, 2025 - Teachers and staff members across Comal ISD received a pay increase for the upcoming school year, thanks to the approval of a three percent raise by the district’s Board of Trustees and Texas House Bill 2.
The Comal ISD Board of Trustees approved the compensation plan as part of its $341 million budget for the 2025-26 school year. Based on the HB 2 Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA), teachers with at least three to four years of experience received a salary increase of $2,500, and teachers with five or more years of experience received $5,000. Teachers with less than three years of experience and other staff who do not qualify for the TRA received a three percent pay increase.
“We value every member of the Comal ISD staff and the dedication they bring to shaping the future of our students,” said Comal ISD Board President Russ Garner. “Recognizing their invaluable expertise and unwavering commitment, we felt it was essential to demonstrate just how much they are valued as the cornerstone of our mission to cultivate learners and achievers.”
The district’s $341 million budget is focused on meeting the academic needs of more than 30,000 students and is built on a Maintenance and Operations tax rate of $0.7369, which will be approved at the August Board meeting. Although HB 2 provided an additional $8.5 billion in funding for public schools, Comal ISD is one of the few districts in the state that is realizing an unanticipated funding shortfall. As a result, the district is currently looking at a $19 million deficit this coming year.
“Unfortunately, HB 2 resulted in some unintended consequences for Comal ISD that significantly impact our funding, specifically the ability to cover the mandated retention payment and the accompanying payroll and retirement contributions,” said Comal ISD Superintendent John Chapman. “We are actively working with the Texas Commissioner of Education to exercise his authority to modify the entitlement calculations through administrative rules, which would significantly reduce our budget deficit.”