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Committee recommends roughly 20% boost to substitute pay, to be funded by consolidation savings
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Summary
An Ouachita Parish School Board committee voted to recommend a roughly 20% across‑the‑board increase in substitute teacher pay, estimated to cost about $500,000 and to be funded by staffing savings from a Southside Elementary consolidation; the recommendation goes to the full board for approval.
At a committee meeting, members voted to recommend a roughly 20% across‑the‑board increase in substitute teacher pay and asked the full Ouachita Parish School Board to consider the measure.
District staff presented a three‑year history of substitute expenditures and estimated that a 20% raise would cost about $500,000. "A 20% increase in that would be around $500,000," Ms. Mekas told the committee. Committee members said the raise would be funded by savings from the recently approved consolidation of Southside Elementary schools, which is expected to eliminate roughly 10 teacher positions paid from the general fund.
Committee members said the district is routinely short of substitutes and that nearby districts, notably Monroe City, are paying substantially more. One principal told the committee that higher pay in neighboring districts had drawn qualified substitutes away, and that raising pay "sends a message of we value what you do," which could help attract higher‑quality substitutes who can teach rather than only supervise classes.
The discussion included procedural and payroll questions: a committee member asked what amounts are withheld from a substitute's paycheck. Staff explained substitutes do not participate in the district retirement plan and instead contribute to a 457 plan, with contributions smaller than those for regular retirement. Committee members also discussed that many substitutes hold high‑school or associate degrees and that pay increases could affect the quality of applicants.
After discussion, Speaker 1 asked for a motion to recommend the increases to the board; Mr. McCormack was named as mover and a committee member seconded. The committee voted in favor and the motion passed. Staff told the committee that, if approved by the board, implementation was planned to begin next school year.
The committee did not set the exact effective date beyond staff's statement that the district planned to schedule the change "beginning next school year." The recommendation will next go to the full board for final approval.
