The St. Bernard Parish School Board made significant strides in addressing employee compensation during its General Committee Meeting on September 9, 2025. A key highlight was the approval of a one-time stipend compensation plan, which will provide $2,000 for each certificated position and $1,000 for non-certificated positions, totaling an estimated allocation of $1.9 million. This funding comes from the state legislature, which has not granted permanent pay raises in recent years, making this stipend a crucial financial boost for educators and support staff.

The stipend plan is based on the previous year's employee report, ensuring that the compensation reflects the current staffing levels. However, it is important to note that this allocation does not include pre-K positions or any new hires made after the last report. The board anticipates an additional cost of approximately $157,000 to extend the stipend to these excluded positions, bringing the total estimated cost to around $2.06 million.

In addition to the stipend, the board discussed a separate appropriation of $17.5 million from the legislature for differentiated pay aimed at classroom teachers. This funding will provide $290.07 per classroom teacher, with specific categories for distribution, including critical shortage areas and stipends for teacher leadership roles. The board plans to allocate $2,000 stipends to certified mentor teachers who will support new educators, enhancing the overall teaching quality in the district.

The board's actions are contingent upon the passage of a constitutional amendment in April 2026, which could lead to permanent salary increases for teachers in the following school year. For now, the one-time stipends are set to be distributed by December 15, 2025, providing immediate financial relief to educators in St. Bernard Parish.