During its May 9 meeting, the Leander ISD Board of Trustees agenda included: 

Meeting Agenda
Meeting Recording

Spotlight on Learning: Vandegrift HS

Students from Vandegrift HS highlighted the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme during the Spotlight on Learning. Students shared a unique journey shaped by small classes, close connections, and holistic curriculum. 

Way to go, Vipers!

Board Recognitions

Special thanks to Akin Elementary students Misha and Ethan for helping celebrate stand-out individuals and accomplishments around #1LISD.

The Board recognized the following:

  • CapMetro Art on the Bus: Plain Elementary School
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) Achievement: DECA
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) Achievement: FFA
  • National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Outstanding Achievement Awards Recipients
  • National Nurse Week May 6-10
  • Teacher and Substitute Appreciation Week, May 6-10
  • Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) Percussion Scholastic Open State Champions: Glenn High School

Board Approves 2.5% Midpoint Raise for All LISD Employees

Compensation Plan Approved

🎬 7.C.1. Consider Approval of 2024-25 Total Compensation Recommendations

The Board approved a 2024–25 compensation plan with pay raises of 2.5 percent of midpoint for every staff member in the budget. This raise would be reflected in employees’ first 2024–25 paycheck.

Note: The approved plan includes language to allow for one-time payment options should certain parameters be met.

“Within budgetary constraints, this 2.5-percent increase allows us to push as close as we can to the Board-adopted deficit threshold without going over,” said Board President Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia, Ph.D. “That said, the teachers and staff of this district deserve more, and our Board remains committed to advocating for adequate funding from our legislature as the state of Texas sits on a record surplus amount.” 

With this 2.5-percent increase at midpoint, every teacher would receive an additional $1,540 per year. The starting salary for teachers would rise to $56,995. For non-teacher-scale positions, the increase is calculated in a similar fashion: the raise percentage is applied to the midpoint of a scale, and then everyone in that scale receives the same dollar amount raise.

Continue reading to learn more about the approved compensation plan.

Previous Updates

Review of TASB Advocacy Resolutions

Advocacy Resolutions

🎬 7.B.1. Discussion of Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) 2024-2026 Advocacy Agenda Resolutions and/or Amendments

With their role as advocates in mind, the Board started preparing for the 89th Texas Legislative Session in 2025. Based on issues that may come before lawmakers, the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) requested resolutions to help align their stance. These resolutions are separate from the Board’s Legislative Priorities, which are still in the committee phase. 

Instead, these proposed resolutions – listed below – help give guidance to TASB as they take a big-picture approach to advocacy for school boards across the state.

  • Reimplement Cost of Education Index (CEI) into school funding formulas which was removed in 2019. This index attempted to adjust for geographical competition and cost of living differences. While it needed to be updated it was instead removed. It should be returned and updated to reflect geographical differences in competition and cost of living across the state.
  • To help address the workforce shortage and create a pipeline of experienced teachers in public education, an apprenticeship program would be an invaluable tool as districts across the state address COVID-19 unfinished learning.
  • TASB advocates for opposition to any efforts by the Texas Education Agency to escalate from a monitor or conservator to a state takeover by establishing a Board of Managers that does not clearly set goals and a path to return local governance back to the community as quickly as possible. TASB urges the Texas Legislature and/or the Governor to require the Commissioner of Education to add transparency to these state measures, hold the agency accountable to the students, parents, and local community, and add language that returns governance to a locally elected Board of Trustees, accountable to voters and the community, as quickly as possible.

“Differing from more broad issues – like finance, safety and security, and mental health – these resolutions represent pinpoint, targeted issues that have do not always make it into the larger scale priorities,” said Trustee Trish Bode, chair of the Legislative Committee. “That said, we still feel as a district that these are important.” 

Submissions are due to TASB by June 17.

District Names Seasoned Professional to Lead Safety & Security, Police Department 

Executive Director of Safety & Security – Announcing Shā Rogers

Leander ISD is pleased to announce that Lucretia “Shā” Rogers has been selected as the district’s Executive Director of Safety and Security after the Board approved the hiring at Thursday’s meeting. This position will transition to Chief of Police after the LISD Police Department has been approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).