Lafayette Parish superintendent outlines pay raises, incentive pay and new Southside High stadium plans

Youngsville — Francis Touchette, superintendent of the Lafayette Parish School System, presented a district overview to the Youngsville City Council on May 8, saying the district will propose a $50,000 starting salary for first‑year teachers and an incentive pay program intended to reward staff for improving student outcomes.

Touchette said district optimization—including school closures and central‑office downsizing—has produced budget savings. He told the council the district recorded roughly $3,500,000 in savings from closings and an additional $1,200,000 from central‑office reductions; consolidation measures in staffing produced another roughly $2,500,000 in projected savings. Touchette said the savings will help fund teacher pay increases and other priorities.

“My number 1 priority is that we will fund a first year teacher starting next year at $50,000,” Touchette said. He added that the district planned incentive pay “You move kids, you get more money. You don’t move kids, you don’t get any more money,” describing a performance incentive intended to reward educators who demonstrably improve student achievement.

Touchette also previewed facilities work, including a new Southside High School stadium the district expects to open next school year. Touchette described plans for roughly 3,000 home‑side seats and 1,500 visitor seats—about 5,000 total—plus a fieldhouse, concession stands and restrooms. School Board Member Jeremy Hidalgo provided a written statement read into the record emphasizing the stadium as a “transformative” investment and praising board support for the funding.

Why it matters: Teacher pay and incentive programs affect recruitment and retention across the district, and a major new high‑school stadium represents a substantial capital investment that will affect local traffic and use of community facilities.

Council members and the mayor praised the district’s progress. Councilmember Romero said he appreciated the district’s work restoring public trust and noted the change would be important for Youngsville families; Ms. Schonpine thanked Touchette for his leadership.

What was not decided: The council received the presentation; no formal city action was required. Touchette said the teacher‑pay and incentive proposals were scheduled for the Lafayette Parish School Board meeting on May 15; the council did not vote on or authorize funding for school district payroll changes.

Community context: Touchette provided printed “report cards” and a district overview packet to council members and said materials will be updated following the district’s October reporting cycle. He framed pay and incentives as tools to attract teachers from neighboring parishes and to improve student outcomes across Lafayette Parish schools, including those in Youngsville.