By Maddie Scott
LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE–Lawmakers are adding back some of the money for public school
teacher stipends next year, and they gave final approval Thursday to bills that would
ban gender discussions and COVID-19 vaccines in schools.
The Senate Finance Committee restored $33 million for teacher stipends Wednesday
evening after the House had cut the funds last month. The money was added back into
next year’s budget in response to recent projections that tax revenues will increase in
fiscal 2025, which starts July 1.
The restoration brings the total amount of stipends to $198 million for teachers and
school support staff members. Under the latest plan, teachers could average the same
one-time payments of $2,000 that they received this year. Support workers could
receive $1,000 on average.
The state budget plan, also called House Bill 1, was presented to the Senate Finance
Committee by Rep. Jack G. McFarland, R-Jonesboro, the chairman of the House
Appropriations Committee.
The Senate committee also restored $24.2 million to early childhood education
programs.
The full Senate on Thursday approved the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill and the ban on
COVID-19 vaccines in schools, sending both bills to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry for his
expected approval.
The Senate voted 28-7 for House Bill 122, which would ban classroom discussions of
gender identify and sexual orientation.
The Senate voted 26-9 approve House Bill 46, which would ban public and private K-12
schools, colleges and day care centers from requiring COVID vaccines.
Also in education, the House passed two Senate bills Wednesday regarding
supplemental pay for teachers and sick leave.
Senate Bill 205 by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, requires additional compensation
for teachers and other school employees under certain circumstances. The bill has six
total amendments, and it passed the House by a vote of 99 to 2.
Rep. Marcus Bryant, D-New Iberia, presented the bill in the House. When another
representative asked him if the bill was an unfunded mandate, he said no, adding that
42 out of 60 parishes already do what the bill is trying to pass.
“It would take us where we’re 40th in education now,” Bryant said, referring to
Louisiana’s rank among states, “and it would also help with teacher recruitment where a
teacher knows she would not be forced to do all kinds of work that she’d never signed
up for with no compensation.”
The bill offers additional compensation at an hourly rate of at least $30 per hour under
circumstances such as overtime work and work beyond prescribed duties.
Senate Bill 213 by Sen. Samuel Jenkins, D-Shreveport, provides sick leave for school
employees under certain circumstances. Rep. Kendricks “Ken” Brass, D-Vacherie,
presented the bill to the House, and it passed 97-1.
The bill applies to city or parish school board employees who are disabled “as a result
of physical contact with a student while providing physical assistance to a student to
prevent danger or risk of injury to the student.”