Gov. Jeff Landry announced the signing of an executive order on June 2 that seeks to provide funding for teacher and support staff pay raises by reducing a portion of the state’s Minimum Foundation Program appropriation for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Under the order, the Minimum Foundation Program appropriation would be reduced by $168 million from what the administration describes as non-instructional spending. The funds would then be redirected to provide a one-time stipend of $2,000 for classroom teachers and $1,000 for support staff, along with associated employer retirement contributions, during the 2026-27 school year.
The proposal requires written approval from two-thirds of the elected members of both houses of the Louisiana Legislature before it can take effect.
“I promised Louisiana’s teachers a pay raise, and today we’re delivering,” Landry said. “For too long, teachers have been used as political pawns. That ends now.”
The executive order cites rising education spending despite declining student enrollment. According to the administration, Louisiana’s K-12 enrollment has decreased by more than 111,000 students since 1988, while inflation-adjusted per-student spending has increased from approximately $9,400 to about $16,500 per student.
The order also notes that many school districts maintain substantial unassigned fund balances and argues that educational funding should be directed more heavily toward classroom instruction and teacher compensation rather than administrative costs.
Landry pointed to recent academic gains as evidence that educators deserve additional compensation. The administration stated that Louisiana ranked first in the nation for reading growth and second for math growth for the second consecutive year. The state also reported being one of only two states performing above 2019 levels in math and the only state to exceed its pre-pandemic reading benchmark.
The governor’s office said approximately 51,000 public school teachers and 40,000 support staff could benefit from the stipend.
The order follows the failure of constitutional amendments proposed in 2025 and 2026 that would have dedicated savings from teacher retirement system debt reduction toward permanent salary increases for teachers and support staff.
If approved by the Legislature, the order would take effect July 1, 2026. The Louisiana Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would be responsible for identifying where the reductions would occur while working with districts to minimize impacts on areas such as school security, transportation and food services.
State officials said districts may be encouraged to use available unassigned fund balances, where feasible, to offset reductions in funding allocations.