Louisiana Legislative Auditor MIKE WAGUESPACK (photo courtesy of Mike Waguespack)
Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack has reviewed the financials of the state’s public school districts, and he says most of them have the funds to support Governor Landry’s plan to cover the cost of a $2,000 stipend for teachers and a $1,000 stipend for school support workers.
“Just doing a headcount, maybe four or five may struggle to try to do this,” Waguespack said.
Landry is proposing a $168 million cut in public school funding and redirecting that money to pay the stipends teachers and school support workers have received the last three years. Waguespack says school districts have $1.8 billion in their unassigned fund balances that can help pay for the loss in state aid for operation expenses.
“A large majority of these can handle this. They may have to do some budget maneuvering or some strategic cash flow moving, but they can handle it. It’s a one-year deal; I think that’s what everybody needs to remember. This is a one-time ask,” Waguespack explained.
The governor’s plan needs legislative support. Two-thirds of the state lawmakers have to approve, and mail-in ballots are due by 5 p.m. on June 23rd.
Landry has also a created a task force to study how the state can use its resources better to fund teacher salaries and get their pay closer to the Southern Regional Average. Waguespack says this reduction in state funding is just for one year.
“This gives the state time to come up with real solutions and a real funding formula that helps those outliers and all others who are in need,” Waguespack noted.
Local school officials say Landry’s plan cuts state funding by about 5%.
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