Lubbock ISD finally decided to loosen the purse strings and give teachers something besides “thoughts and prayers.” The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 13% pay raise for full-time certified teachers—the biggest single-year bump in the district’s history. Starting pay is now $50,900, which in Lubbock terms means you might actually afford rent and H-E-B groceries in the same month.
The raise comes courtesy of extra state funding, which is ironic considering Texas lawmakers usually prefer cutting education budgets and calling it “efficiency.” Non-teaching staff also got a nod, with a 3% bump across the board and support staff pay floors jumping 14% to $13.50 an hour. Because nothing says “we value you” like a wage that’s still below the cost of a Whataburger meal deal plus fries.
In total, the district budgeted $7.5 million for the raises. Teachers should see the difference in their September paychecks—just in time to offset the money they’ve already spent buying classroom supplies out of their own pockets.
Sure, $50,900 isn’t exactly rolling in riches, but in Lubbock? That’s practically tenure at Buc-ee’s.
