During the March Board Meeting, RISD Trustees reviewed information about the district’s commitment to recruiting and retaining top-tier educators to drive student growth, a budget update and a proposal for a marketing awareness campaign to help stabilize the district’s enrollment.
See the highlights and presentations for these topics:
Staff Recruitment and Retention Efforts
- RISD prioritizes competitive pay and teacher support
- The district is leading the market in experienced teacher compensation
- Turnover has dropped from 17.4% to 11.54% over the past two years
- RISD offers unique benefits and performance incentives:
- Teacher Support: Access to Child Learning Academies, mental wellness and acute care clinics, and a sick leave bank.
- Rewarding Talent: Participation in the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) is expanding from 12 to 28 campuses. Last year, 102 designated teachers earned a combined $1.3 million in extra pay.
- Professional Growth: The number of National Board Certified Teachers has doubled since 2023.
Budget Update
- Looking ahead to 2026, the district faces a projected budget gap, with revenues budgeted at 401.5 million dollars against 455.4 million dollars in expenditures.
- Districtwide employee raises for the upcoming fiscal year would cost the district:
- $3.6 million dollar cost for a 1% raise
- $10.8 million dollar cost for a 3% raise
District administrators will work on possible pay raise models for board consideration and approval in the upcoming months. Planning for next year focuses on balancing resources while maintaining classroom stability and meeting student needs. The compensation plan is scheduled for approval in early May, and the 2026 budget adoption is planned for early June.
Also, the board reviewed a proposal for a comprehensive RISD is The ONE marketing and awareness campaign to help stabilize district enrollment against demographic shifts and rising competition from private, charter, and homeschool alternatives.
Learn more about these important board items and district recognitions in our March Board video recap presented by Board President Chris Poteet.
