Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana has announced a proposal to cut $168 million from the state’s public school funding formula to finance one-time stipends for teachers and school support staff. This move, according to Landry, is aimed at addressing the long-standing issue of stagnant teacher pay despite increasing education spending.

Proposed Funding Reallocation

The funds would be redirected from the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), Louisiana’s primary K-12 education funding mechanism. The proposed reallocation would provide $2,000 stipends for classroom teachers and $1,000 for support staff. Landry emphasized that this action is not a temporary fix but the beginning of structural reform in the state’s education budgeting.

Landry’s executive order specifies that the reduction should target non-instructional expenditures, ensuring that classroom services remain unaffected. He assured that teacher salaries would not be cut, nor would taxes be raised as a result of this proposal.

Legislative Approval Required

For the executive order to take effect, it requires the written consent of two-thirds of both the House and Senate members, as mandated by the Louisiana Constitution. The legislative session has ended, so lawmakers would need to submit their approval in writing.

House Bill 1 currently allocates over $4 billion to the MFP for the upcoming fiscal year. The proposed $168 million cut would reduce state aid to school districts by an estimated 4% to 5%, according to state education officials.

Addressing Long-Term Issues

Governor Landry has highlighted a mismatch between rising education spending and stagnant teacher pay, noting that since 1988, Louisiana’s K-12 enrollment has decreased by over 111,000 students while inflation-adjusted per-pupil spending has increased significantly.

In response to these challenges, Landry has also helped establish a legislative task force to study the MFP and seek long-term solutions to prevent teachers from becoming political pawns in budget negotiations. Previous efforts to secure permanent raises through constitutional amendments have failed, leaving teachers without a dedicated funding source for pay increases.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.