MAP: Which school districts have increased teacher pay for the 2023-24 school year?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ahead of the upcoming school year, several districts are looking to attract new teachers by increasing salaries.

The budget decisions come as state lawmakers fight over school choice and teacher pay at the Capitol. Several districts are waiting to see what, if anything, the legislature requires before setting salary schedules. Others will be finalizing budgets over the coming months.

KXAN reached out to all 58 school districts in our viewing area to compare starting salaries across the board. The maps below show salaries in each district for new teachers with no experience.

Of the districts that have released new pay scales for the 2023-24 school year, Del Valle ISD is offering the highest starting salary, at $58,000. That's a 7.4% increase, or $4,000, over 2022-23.

"Del Valle ISD teachers and staff are the heart of the district, providing our students with care and love," Superintendent Dr. Annette Tielle said in a press release. "Our raises over the past several years set DVISD apart and make it a destination district for educators and staff across the state."

Austin ISD has the second-highest starting salary announced so far, $55,844, a 7% increase. The new compensation package for staff means the districts will spend up to $53 million of its reserve funds.

"There's a little bit of risk with this budget, but there's a real risk of not educating our students," AISD Board President Arati Singh said in a statement. "This is long overdue, so I'm excited to support it."

Eanes ISD will also offer new teachers more than $55,000. In the 2022-23 school year, Manor ISD had the highest starting pay among local districts, at $54,590. A spokesperson for the district told KXAN the school board is expected to vote on the new salary schedule on June 20.

Of the districts that have set budgets so far, just two will offer less than $50,000: Lago Vista ISD, at $48,250, and McDade ISD, at $38,491.

McDade ISD Superintendent Heather Stidham told KXAN the districts is a 1A school competing with 4A, 5A and 6A schools in the county. "In comparison our starting pay is significantly lower because funding is based on [average daily attendance]," Stidham said. "Our school system is much smaller than those that surround us within Bastrop County."

Of the districts that have set new pay rates so far, most have adopted increases between 2% and 7%.

Johnson City ISD currently stands as an outlier, with a 13% increase in the starting salary. A teacher with no experience there will earn $51,500 in 2023-24, up from $45,574 the previous school year.

The majority of districts have not yet approved pay scales for the 2023-24 school year. KXAN will update this story as those decisions are made.