Lubbock ISD Trustees announce leadership hire, approve 2026-2027 budget and compensation plan

Lubbock ISD Trustees announce leadership hire, approve 2026-2027 budget and compensation plan

Lubbock, TX – The Lubbock Independent School District (Lubbock ISD) Board of Trustees met for their regular and workshop meeting on Thursday (June 25).

At the meeting, the trustees announced Cary Fulgham as the district’s new Director of Instructional Technology, a position recently created that consolidates three other positions and provides leadership for the planning, implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement of instructional technology and digital learning initiatives across the district.

The board also approved the employee compensation plan and district budget for the upcoming school year. The compensation plan includes pay increases for eligible district employees as well as a higher starting salary of $51,500 for “teachers of record” as defined by the Texas Education Agency.

Cary Fulgham announced as Director of Instructional Technology

As the new Director of Instructional Technology, Fulgham will oversee the life cycle management of hardware, software and instructional systems while ensuring alignment with instructional goals and providing leadership for technology support staff.

“I’m so excited and honored to start in this new role, and I’d like to thank Superintendent Dr. Kathy Rollo and the board for this opportunity, and our Chief Technology Officer Damon Jackson and Assistant Superintendent Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Kim Callison who have worked together to grow me, as well as all the other district leadership who have helped me in my 17 years with the district,” Fulgham said. “I’m grateful for all the support and encouragement throughout my career, and I look forward to the opportunities this job provides to work alongside our campuses and all the departments within our district.”

Fulgham joined the district in 2010 as an elementary school teacher at Roberts Elementary School. She was instrumental in the district’s transition to digital learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and also helped lead efforts as the district returned to in-class instruction in the following school year. She has served as the district’s digital learning instructional coach, where she helped teachers use technology to improve student outcomes. Most recently, she was the district’s digital learning coordinator, supporting and fostering learning through the use of technology.

In her new role, Fulgham will lead the effort to integrate technology into teaching and learning, ensuring that digital resources, instructional systems and professional learning opportunities enhance student achievement and support district instructional goals. She will collaborate with district and campus leadership to develop and implement innovative technology solutions that improve teaching, learning, communication, and operational effectiveness and serve as a liaison among Technology Services, Teaching and Learning, and district leadership to ensure technology resources are effectively aligned with instructional priorities and organizational goals.

Fulgham holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies from Texas Tech University, where she was also a part of the West Texas Middle School Math Partnership. She also holds a master of education degree in math curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington and completed her principal certification at Lamar University. She and her husband, Steven, have two daughters in the district: Mikala, who will be a 6th grader at Evans Middle School this fall, and Brooklyn, who will be a fifth grader at Miller Elementary School.

2026-2027 Employee Compensation Plan approved, benefits plan to be voted on in July

Effective for the 2026-2027 school year, the Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved an average 2% salary increase for 087 teachers, or “teachers of record” as defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The decision represents the district’s effort to address market competition and provide more competitive financial compensation to teachers across the district, increasing the district’s starting teacher annual pay to $51,500.

The board also approved a 2% raise for the Administrative Operations Pay Range, 2% for the Administrative Professional, and 3% for the Instructional Support Pay Range. All of these three raises are from the midpoint of their specific pay grades, which can be found on the Lubbock ISD Human Resources webpage.

Adjunct teachers remain at $43,000 annually, but receive other incentives to help them complete their educator certification.

Generally, 187-day staff members (most campus employees) can expect to see the pay increase on their September 2026 paycheck (the first check of their 2026-2027 assignment); 226-day staff members can expect to see the pay increase on their July 2026 paycheck.

Members from the district’s Human Resources and Payroll departments are working diligently to make sure all staff are properly compensated on their July, August or September paycheck.

At the meeting, the board also discussed the planning of the 2027 health plan/program, which will be voted on at the July board meeting and begin in January 2027. In the plan, the district is prioritizing providing a comprehensive benefits package focused on employee choice and well-being, anchored by significant district contributions, comprehensive wellness incentives and other unique programs while maintaining key medical, prescription drug and dental plans. If approved for 2027, the district’s contribution to help cover employee premiums will increase significantly, from $391 to $482 per employee per month. Benefits in the package include:

• A $0 copay clinic and $0 copay prescriptions

• The option to receive a Gym Membership Reimbursement for employee health plan members

• The Lubbock ISD wellness program with credits toward insurance premiums available

• A Diabetes Wellness Program

• Supplemental plans such as vision, disability, cancer, life insurance, etc.

• New teacher mentorship and support

“We know that recruiting, hiring and retaining quality employees is one of the most important things we can do to provide our students and families with the best educational experience,” said Board President Nancy Sharp. “We remain committed to investing in our team and supporting them as they care for and grow the young minds who will ultimately lead us into an even brighter future.”

2026-2027 District budget approved

The Board of Trustees also approved the district budget for the upcoming school year. Of the $260 million budget, most of the district budget – more than 75% – is dedicated to payroll, supporting the people who directly impact the lives of students every day.

Another 17% is dedicated to contracted services, which include transportation, student nutrition and utility contracts, while 7.5% makes up the district supply budget, funding items like fuel, property insurance and various fees. The smallest percentage of the budget – 3.3% – supports departmental and campus operating budgets.

Like many other districts across the state, Lubbock ISD faces a significant deficit under the approved budget – $22.5 million. At the meeting, Lubbock ISD CFO Dr. Dewayne Wilkins explained the factors contributing to the deficit and said the district is taking robust steps to decrease the deficit in the coming years.

“This deficit did not happen overnight, and it will not be resolved overnight,” Wilkins said. “With roughly 80% of Texas school districts facing deficit budgets, this is a systemic challenge across our state. However, our singular focus remains exactly where it belongs: ensuring our staff and students have everything they need to be successful.”

This deficit is due to several factors, with the most pressing being:

• Enrollment decline & absenteeism increase – decreases in the local birth rate as well as a recent increase in absenteeism are some of the main factors leading to a decrease in student-based funding from the state and an increase in per-pupil spending due to a smaller student body at numerous schools.

• Strategic investments in people & operations – as mentioned above, the board has approved competitive teacher and staff pay raises and benefits packages (for the second year in a row) in an effort to attract, hire and retain quality employees. The district has also recently made investments in long-term cost-saving operations measures that will ultimately show a high return on investment and substantially reduce costs in operations.

• Inflation & other economic pressures – inflation has risen faster than an increase in funding sources to the district. Additionally, district contractors and vendors have experienced a rising cost of materials, which then increases costs for the district. This is especially significant considering the age of many of the district’s buildings and infrastructure and the level of repairs and maintenance needed to continue operations across the district.

“We understand that our community may have questions about the deficit, considering the additional public education funding that was approved during the last legislative session, as well as the approved 2025 Bond. These are valid questions, and we want to thank our stakeholders for approving these much-needed funds,” said Superintendent Dr. Kathy Rollo. “We also want to stress that these funds are earmarked for specific projects and initiatives, like certain construction projects or safety and security measures, and they cannot be used outside of those areas. This means that if there is a deficit in other areas – like payroll and operation expenses – these funds cannot be used to meet that deficit.

“But we continue to work diligently to right-size our district by identifying efficiencies in staffing and operations and assessing ongoing opportunities for district optimization and campus consolidations,” Rollo continued, “All while keeping our mission front and center: serving the children of our district and ensuring that the educational experience they receive will allow them to learn, grow and thrive, now and in their futures.”

Wilkins said measures being taken to tackle the deficit moving forward include:

• Ongoing district optimization discussions with annual, data-driven reviews of campus capacities and staffing models to ensure footprints automatically adjust to enrollment trends.

• A renewed focus on enrollment and attendance to recapture recent losses in state funding that is based on the number of students who attend school every day, as well as other targeted revenue levers like grants and “grow your own” programs.

• Right-sizing the district by evaluating every staffing vacancy for efficiency.

• Transitioning from traditional budget adjustments to zero-based budgeting, where requirements are built from scratch each year to ensure every dollar is tied to strategic priorities.

• Investing in long-term initiatives that will ultimately benefit the district, like installing energy efficient lighting, approving attractive compensation increases that decrease staff turnover, and strategically designing new builds and renovations for efficient and multipurpose use.

About Lubbock ISD

Lubbock Independent School District is the largest K-12 public education provider in the surrounding area, educating more than 23,000 students. Its mission is to nurture, develop and inspire every child, every day. Guiding that mission are three leadership pillars – Develop Leaders, Love People and Value Data – which aim to empower staff to their full potential, embrace our community and cultivate student success at every level. With a wide range of academic and career programming, the district has innovated itself to provide growth opportunities for students and staff alike.