Senate Finance has approved a spending plan for next fiscal year that contains a one-thousand dollar teacher pay raise and $39 million in block grant funding for school districts. The House budget proposal calls for a higher pay raise for teachers, but no additional dollars for public schools. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says lawmakers have until June 6th to agree on a budget.
“Teachers are probably on pins and needles a little bit as are school districts to figure out are they going to get money, how much is it going to be, how is is going to be allocated and so this one may go down to the wire,” said Erwin.
Multiple special sessions were needed last year to pass a budget. Erwin expects the legislature can get its work done this time before the regular session concludes.
“Legislators are very clear that they want to do the pay raises. They differ probably on how they want to give money to schools, but in the end, I think they can reach a compromise,” said Erwin.
Erwin says election year politics is playing a role in this dispute over education funding.
“I think in the House you actually see people who are trying to kind of go a little different way from the Governor, put him on the spot a little bit, kind of ruffle his feathers on really what was his proposal originally with the teacher pay raise,” said Erwin.
