Louisiana Teachers, Support Staff Face Potential Pay Cuts after Amendment Election Loss

After voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have funded a pay raise for teachers and support staff -- by draining the state’s education trust funds -- the state's largest teachers union says they plan to petition the state to find the money elsewhere.
As the Louisiana Radio Network reports, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees President Larry Carter says it’s up to lawmakers to come up with a plan B. “We’re going to try our very best to lobby legislators to see if we can fight for a line item in the governor’s budget to at least maintain the stipend but also for current funds to be used for a permanent pay for teachers and school employees.”
As Louisiana Public Radio reports, some educators had opposed the plan, arguing it could jeopardize future school funding. But prior to the vote, Senate President Cameron Henry told reporters that if the amendment failed, the legislature did not plan to add funding to this year’s budget for another one-time stipend. After several years of one-time stipends, they're now effectively facing a pay cut — $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff — unless lawmakers change their minds.
Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh says that the failure of the proposed amendment will put education funding about $500 million in the hole. “We took a $100 million hit from the Revenue Estimating Conference, and we took at least a $400 million hit by the constitutional amendment not passing.”
Seabaugh also wanted to make it clear that public school teachers are not state employees. That means their salaries are not set directly by the legislature. “The State gives local school boards money to do with as they see fit. If they want to use that money for teacher pay raises, they can.”
Gov. Jeff Landry made a social media post saying that if teachers do not get a pay raise, then no one in state government will get one. It is a reference to HB1201, which would give the governor and other statewide officials raises and legislators an increase in their daily per diem, beginning in 2028. The Louisiana House approved the measure May 11 by a vote of 53-to-36. It is now being heard in a Senate committee.