The Mansfield ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the district’s budget for the 2018-19 school year.

The balanced budget includes a 1 percent midpoint increase of employee pay grades and a 1 percent raise at that new midpoint for teachers, administrators, professionals, paraprofessionals, technology, police and auxiliary staff.

Staff exceeding the maximum pay grade range will receive no less than 50 percent of the raise. A stipend adjustment was also passed.

In addition, measures to enhance the district’s safety were included in the budget, such as more police officers, video intercoms at campuses and additional security cameras.

“Mansfield ISD thrives to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars, even while operating under a complicated school finance system that decreases state funding as local property taxes increase,” said School Board President Karen Marcucci. “We’re proud to be able to present a balanced budget for the next school year. We’ll continue to make sure that money is going toward the holistic education of our students and finding innovative ways to do that.”

The 2018-19 general operating budget totals $293.4 million. Debt service is $57.3 million. The budget for student nutrition, which is not funded through local tax dollars, was also approved for $16.8 million with no increase in student meal prices.

The tax rate is scheduled to go for approval at the regular board meeting in August.

View more information about the 2018-19 budget here.