The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana is out with its guide to the 2026 Constitutional Amendments. The one getting the most attention is Amendment 3, the one that would make a $2,000 pay raise for teachers permanent. PAR President and CEO Steven Procopio says they would be paid through funds that exist in the constitution.
“Take that money to pay down debt for the Teachers’ Retirement System and then using that savings, so that the schools don’t have to make those debt payments anymore on their pension system. Use that money to pay for the pay raises,” Procopio explained.
The plan would involve retiring three trusts funds – funds that Procopio says currently go towards education.
“The schools would be losing the money that they’re getting from these funds now. However, that would be, essentially, replaced by money that they would now have for a teacher pay raise,” Procopio said.
Procopio says based on data by the Department of Revenue and the Teachers’ Retirement System, schools will largely come out on top.
“The money generated by the current funds is less than the money owed by the debt of the pension system. So you actually get a sort of a net increase in how much money there is to spend,” Procopio noted.
The PAR Guide to the 2026 Constitutional Amendments can be viewed here.
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