COPPERAS COVE – Facing budget challenges, Copperas Cove ISD has taken steps to address issues and implement additional staff retention steps.
Monday, during a Special Called Meeting of the CCISD Board of Trustees, an additional $500 retention incentive was approved for all CCISD employees for the 2026-27 school year.
This addition means teachers who are returning to Cove schools next year will receive a one-time $1,000 in retention incentive, and all other employees who receive the board-approved 3% midpoint raise will receive a one-time $500 retention incentive. One-time retention incentives will be paid in August. Other compensation changes will been seen in each employee’s September paycheck.
“We want to make sure we keep the very best staff in our district, and I appreciate the trustees approving this action,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “Since receiving the initial approval on compensation in the Spring, we’ve been able to analyze the budget further at the end of the school year and are now able to responsibly address our valuable team members further.”
This compensation measure was part of a resolution to address several operational factors in the district. This resolution also addressed other improvements in the district as a result of $5.5 million in unprojected revenue for the current fiscal year.
As part of this resolution, the trustees granted the administration permission to move forward with other capital improvements in the district and move applicable expenses within those projects from the proposed 2026-27 budget to the 2025-26 budget and help toward balancing the 2026-27 fiscal year budget
Additionally, the board accepted the resignation of Board Secretary Heather Copeland. The trustees unanimously approved the appointment of former trustee Mike Wilburn to fill the seat until the trustee election in November.
Mrs. Copeland was first elected to the board in 2022 and re-elected in 2025.
“We appreciate the service of Mrs. Copeland on the Board of Trustees and will miss her greatly,” Dr. Hawkins said. “We wish her well as she steps away to help her family in this time of need. Mrs. Copeland embodies everything it means to be a Bulldawg and her shoes will be tough to fill.”
Mrs. Copeland’s seat will be up for election to a two-year term in November, to finish the term she was initially re-elected to in November 2025.
The trustees are next scheduled to hold their regular June meeting at 6 p.m. June 22nd in the Board Room at the District Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas for each board meeting are posted outside the District Service & Training Center three business days prior. Once posted, they may be viewed online at www.CCISD.com/SchoolBoard.