Trustees look at retention stipends for employees
HUTTO — For the ninth year in a row, Hutto Independent School District earned top points for its annual audit, a fact celebrated by trustees who are also considering stipends to retain employees. Laura Lynch, senior manager at Whitley Penn auditing firm, presented the audit report during the Thursday school board meeting.
“We received an A or superior rating, which means according to our auditors and according (the Texas Education Agency) we are taking care of our financial business,” said Caleb Steed, the district’s chief financial officer.
The audit is a monthslong process involving financial statements, federal and state compliance and program expenditures.
“We do ask for a lot of information and the (Hutto) team was very quick to respond with everything that we needed and gave us access to everything that we needed,” Lynch said during the Oct. 23 session.
Steed also proposed a $500 teacher and staff retention stipend for those employed by the start of the 2025-26 calendar year. If a staff member began after the contracted year, they will receive $250.
“This is in support of our expanding strategies to attract and retain high-performing people,” Steed said.
Trustees approved a tentative date of Dec. 12 to disperse bonuses.
Officials said all district employees must complete a stipend acknowledgement form in which they agree to have the amount deducted from their final paycheck if they leave before their contract is up.
In other business, trustees confirmed Jason McAuliffe, previously executive director of secondary schools for Hutto ISD, is the new assistant superintendent of instruction and innovation under Brittany Swanson.
Trustees OK’d the appointment after first meeting in executive session.
The district also recently purchased 37 acres to support future growth. Funds from the 2023 bond paid for 17 acres at CR 394 and Aurora Meadow in the new Flora housing development.
The remaining 20 acres located close to the Hutto Megasite off 79, was purchased from a combination of bond money from 2019 and 2023 bonds. These 37 acres join an additional 100 acres Hutto ISD recently acquired.
School board meetings are held in the Administration Building Board Room at 200 college St. on the fourth Thursday of every month. The open meeting begins around 7 p.m. after the board’s closed session which begins at 6 p.m.
