STIPENDS for 2,371 KISD EMPLOYEES--Down from 2,807 KISD EMPLOYEES in 2014-2015

When I was a member of the school board, I suggested to the superintendent that the Board needed to see job descriptions for all personnel receiving stipends. Such information should include verifiable amounts of time spent by the teacher/coach/administrator WITH students before, after or beyond the regular school day. If an employee had an extra conference period, then no extra pay was to be afforded if the work required was completed in that time period. A stipend in that case would constitute double pay. I suggested that stipends should be given if an employee had documentable hours of such activity. The stipend should be given on an hourly basis. I suggested that perhaps some employees were being underpaid while some were being overpaid, and the fairness issue was an important consideration. I also wanted them to pay attention to "seasonal work." The football head coach works a lot in the fall, but not so much in the spring. Sometimes I have seen one of them arrive at school around noon.

The following is a copy of an article in the Katy Times written by Judy Triplett on August 24, 1994. That was twenty-two years ago. Notice the increase in the number of stipends since then, the amounts, the total amount and what I suggested at the time.

TEACHERS TO GET STIPEND INCREASE

By Judy Triplett

Stipends for athletic, music and non-athletic teachers were increased by approximately $157,000, bringing Katy school district's compensation more competitive with surrounding school districts.

Following approval Monday night by the Katy school board, compensation to teachers and coaches for activities, athletic and instructional, will now cost the district nearly $1 million, up from approximately $800,000.

Interim Superintendent Don Stacy said in a later interview that Katy schools rated near the bottom in the stipend schedule before this adjustment was made.

"Katy ISD hasn't had a major stipend increase in a while," Stacy said, resulting in its loss of competitiveness with area districts.

In the July 24 The Katy Times, some members of the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees wanted to increase stipends because the district was missing out on recruiting top coaches in the state.

Board member Stanley Thompson said that coaches were an important part of student's lives, and it was important to be competitive when recruiting those teachers.

A stipend is the amount of money paid to teachers of activities, athletic, academic and non-athletic, because of the extra time and days they spend with students.

For example, the first assistant for varsity football will receive a $4,200 stipend, up from $3,200

And, under the new schedule, the assistant volleyball coach will receive $1,800, up from $1,500.

Board member Mary McGarr questioned the discrepancies between sports. She said that she thought the stipends should be based solely on the amount of time teachers and coaches spent with students.

She requested that when a stipend schedule was presented next year, teachers job descriptions be detailed to reveal how much time each instructor is spending with the student outside the regular school day.

"I think it is unfair to say that one instructor's time is worth more than another's." McGarr said.

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Of note is the fact that stipends in those days were a way to further compensate athletic coaches.  That's what no one wanted to say out loud.  Now, they have removed the head coaches from the stipend list, and just give them a lot more money.  They came to realize that the public is pretty stupid when it comes to this stuff and that they could get away with giving coaches as much money as they wanted to!