The Socorro School Board voted Thursday to not raise teacher and staff salaries for the 2024-25 school year and to require employees to contribute more to health care costs in an effort to address the district’s ongoing budget crisis.
“The recommendations and decisions regarding these actions were not made lightly or without due consideration, but were made as part of an effort to provide budget relief and improve the district’s financial situation,” Socorro Independent School District Acting Superintendent James Vazquez said in a letter sent to staff Friday.
The district is facing a $33 million deficit this fiscal year and a projected $41 million deficit next, and is also searching for a new superintendent under the oversight of two Texas Education Agency administrators. Adding to the confusion is the recent arrests of two board members, Pablo Barrera and Ricardo Castellano, on charges related to their public duties.
The board is scheduled to approve the budget June 19, following a public comment period.
The health insurance changes will ultimately result in a reduction in take-home pay for SISD employees starting in January 2025, when the new rates take effect.
The board voted 5-2 to reduce district employee health fund contributions by $20, from $575 to $555 a month. Employees will now pay the difference of $20. Barrera and Castellano voted against the motion.
In a letter sent to teachers and staff, Vasquez said the cuts were “far less than the $150 per employee previously under consideration.”
Texas law requires employers, such as school districts, to contribute at least $225 a month to employees’ health insurance, which includes a $75 contribution from the state and a $150 contribution from the school district.
Human Resources Director Mario Carmona said the changes could mean some employees’ premiums could increase by more than $20 a month, depending on their health insurance plan.
“Offsetting is necessary,” Carmona said. “Further adjustments will be required to level out the lows and highs. Our goal is to have that information ready by the June 19 board meeting.”
The board also unanimously voted not to offer employees pay increases or benefits during the 2024-25 fiscal year, which begins in August.
Veronica Hernandez, president of the Socorro United Federation of Teachers, said the move feels like a pay cut to many employees.
“This was an extreme measure and I think it was wrong to punish employees who had no control over the misuse of funds,” Hernandez told El Paso Matters. “Teachers continue to do a great job, but to not give them a raise and take away their health insurance contributions is like backing them into a corner.”
