Gov. Landry Announces New Plan for Louisiana Teacher Raises
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Louisiana teachers and school workers may soon get permanent pay raises after Governor Jeff Landry announced a new plan this week.
Teachers are some of the most important people in our children’s lives. They help shape young minds, support students every day, and often work long hours both inside and outside the classroom. Despite everything they do, many teachers are still overworked and underpaid, and they deserve more support and appreciation for the impact they make.
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For the past three years, teachers and support staff have received the extra pay through temporary yearly stipends. But those payments were at risk after Louisiana voters rejected a constitutional amendment earlier this month that would have made the raises permanent. Lawmakers said voters were not against teacher raises. Instead, they did not agree with the way the state planned to pay for them.
The governor spoke Tuesday at the Louisiana State Capitol alongside Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier. The three leaders said they are committed to continuing the pay raises for teachers and school employees.
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How Much Extra Pay Teachers Receive
Landry said he wants to make yearly teacher stipends permanent without raising taxes. Right now, public school teachers receive an extra $2,000 each year, while support staff receive $1,000.
“I want to deliver a permanent, predictable pay raise for our in-classroom teachers and the support staff without raising taxes,” Landry said.
Where the Money Could Come From
Now the big question is, where will the money come from? Governor Landry wants to use money from Louisiana’s public school funding formula, called the Minimum Foundation Program, to help pay for the raises. However, the governor has not released full details yet, but lawmakers are expected to approve the state budget before sending it to Landry later this week.