The Louisiana House has advanced a pair of bills that would make pay raises permanent for K-12 public school teachers and staff.
HB 5, sponsored by Rep. Tony Bacala (R-Prairieville), directs school districts to use funds on stipends of $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for school support staff. The bill is contingent on passage of HB 7, by Rep. Julie Emerson (R-Carencro), which would allow various trust funds to go towards paying down around $2 billion in debt from the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. Close to $2 billion dollars would be freed up for raises if the funds are used to decrease payments that go toward the system.
“This $2,000 just makes permanent the $2,000 that the teachers received in 2023, that they received in 2024. And for 2025 they will know that $2,000 would not be a stipend it is now attached to their salary,” Rep. Tammy Phelps (D-Shreveport) said during the Legislature’s special session on Thursday. .
“I think that would be an accurate way to explain it to a teacher,” Bacala responded.
Phelps asked if taking money from those trust funds to assist with raises could negatively impact funding for Head Start and early childhood education.
“It's not a money issue for them, it's that we can't find people who want to work in the daycare,” said Bacala.
The HB 5 bill passed unanimously and now heads to the Senate Education C committee.
HB 7 is a constitutional amendment, so it would need voter approval.
