HISD's (Last?) Big Performance Bonus: $42 Million

Bonus time at HISD

HISD says 1,82816,527 employees earned bonuses ranging from $100 to $15,530 as part of the $42.4 million payout awarded for "teacher and school impact on student academic progress from year to year using both achievement data and value-added analysis."

The criteria for the awards has always caused grumbles among those who get passed over, and that no doubt will happen this year.

"For those teachers who did not receive an ASPIRE Award this year, it doesn't mean their students or their campus didn't grow academically, it just means that their performance wasn't in the top 50 percent for last year," says Assistant Superintendent for Research and Accountability Carla Stevens.

About $25 million of the bonus money comes from HISD funds; another $18 million or so comes from the state and feds.

The $12 million from the state is especially endangered in the future, as education funding faces deep cuts to close a budget gap.

Whether HISD will offer less money to those who qualify, or change the criteria so that fewer employees split up the ASPIRE funds, will have to be decided in the future if expected cuts come.

HISD will release specific campus-by-campus information tomorrow, but did offer some highlights today:

Top 5 Elementary Campuses

Campus Average Core Teacher Award

1. J.P. Henderson Elementary $6,872.21

2. Osborne Elementary $6,556.32

3. Sanchez Elementary $6,497.65

4. De Chaumes Elementary $6,384.98

5. Pilgrim Academy $6,267.40

Top 5 Middle School Campuses

Campus Average Core Teacher Award

1. Energized for Excellence MS $8,233.33

2. Jackson MS $7,300.16

3. Burbank MS $7,254.41

4. Pershing MS $7,148.11

5. Kaleidoscope MS $6,441.25

Top 5 High School Campuses

Campus Average Core Teacher Award

1. Milby HS $7,532.66

2. Westbury HS $7,337.73

3. DeBakey HS $7,008.04

4. Austin HS $6,687.36

5. Eastwood Academy $6,518.25