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Lafayette Parish superintendent flags budget pressure, says nine pre‑K sections may be cut
Summary
Superintendent Francis Touchett Jr. told the Lafayette Parish School Board the district is reviewing budget cuts and may remove nine pre‑K class sections that now fall to the general fund, estimating roughly 18 staff positions and about $1 million in annual salary costs would shift off the general fund if the sections are cut.
Superintendent Francis Touchett Jr. told the Lafayette Parish School Board on Jan. 8 that the district is preparing for tighter finances this spring and is considering removing nine pre‑K class sections that are currently paid from the district’s general fund.
Touchett said the district receives state MFP (Minimum Foundation Program) funding only for kindergarten through 12th grade, and that pre‑K funding the district receives is federal money that flows through the state under specific grant parameters. “Pre k is not funding that we get from the state. We only get MFP dollars for k to 12 students,” he said.
He explained that when a pre‑K class offers services outside the federal grant’s specified parameters — for example, Spanish or French immersion — the extra cost has been charged to the general fund. That, he said, is driving the proposed reduction. “When we talk about 9 sections, we’re really talking about 9 teachers and a requirement to have a pre k class as you have to have a paraprofessional by law. So there is a total of 18 people that when you remove these 9 sections from the general fund…we are looking at those salaries equaling up $1,000,000 that is costing the general fund,” Touchett said.
Nut graf: The superintendent framed the possible reductions as a response to a broader review of district spending and a priority to preserve classroom funding and teacher pay. He said the administration will continue to look for ways to restore opportunities if circumstances change and promised improved communication with the board and public about budget actions.
Board members and the superintendent tied the pre‑K discussion to other budget pressures, including charter school impacts and rising insurance costs. Touchett said staff will work through a timeline for budget decisions in the spring and described a pledge to prioritize money “in the classroom with teachers and students.” He reiterated a stated goal of increasing teacher salaries and exploring incentives tied to new accountability measures.
The superintendent characterized some past district spending as wasteful and said staff have identified areas to scrub from the general fund; he apologized for earlier gaps in communications about pending changes.
Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on the pre‑K sections during the Jan. 8 meeting; Touchett presented the staffing and funding rationale and said the administration will bring a timeline and communications to the board this spring.
