SAN ANTONIO -- It’s a new Texas law aimed at helping state school employees put more money in their pockets. House Bill 3, better known as the school finance bill, mandates teacher pay raises for full-time employees.

It’s an issue the Northside American Federation of Teachers wants the city’s largest school district to act on before July 12. That’s the deadline for NISD teachers to submit their resignations to the district.

On Tuesday, the local union reignited its call to action by presenting a petition with more than 1,400 signatures from NISD employees at a school board meeting. It’s calling for a minimum of 3.5 percent pay increase for teachers. Another 4.5 percent pay increase for support personnel includes bus drivers, janitors and cafeteria workers.

Yet, union members are hopeful for a greater increase. Districts across the state have been proposing pay increases as high as 8 percent, which was proposed by Houston ISD.

The topic of compensation packages was not on Tuesday’s board agenda. However, union members say the district told them they would have a plan by mid-July.

A NISD spokesperson told us the next scheduled board meeting is July 23, a little more than a week after the union’s preferred deadline. The spokesperson did say a call meeting could be issued before then to discuss compensation packages at that time.

The petition is available to view here.