Assumption Parish school board approves adjusted salary schedule after lengthy debate on costs and teacher recruitment

The Assumption Parish School Board voted to approve a proposed salary-schedule adjustment aimed at making local pay more competitive with neighboring districts, the board announced after a roll-call vote.

The motion — made by Mr. Abare and seconded by Miss Orso — approved the salary-schedule changes recommended in the consultant report and presented by staff. Director of Finance (staff presenter) said the proposed adjustment would increase total expenditures for the 2026–27 fiscal year and provided the board with budget projections.

"Projected revenues for the 2627 fiscal year are $38,221,108," the Director said, adding that projected expenditures on the current salary schedule would be $40,386,384 and that the proposed adjustment would raise expenditures further. "With the capital projects included we are in the red; without capital projects we would still face a shortfall," the Director said.

Board members debated trade-offs between immediate raises to make the district competitive and long-term budget sustainability. One committee member warned that the proposed $5,200 approximate first-year increase for some positions could force additional cuts elsewhere. "We may be able to sustain this about a year, but overall, long term, I don't think this is sustainable," the committee member said.

Other members countered that failing to adjust pay risks losing teachers and staff. "We have to move forward and be on the playing field with everybody else," another member said, arguing that better pay is needed to recruit new teachers and retain experienced staff.

Staff described three concrete technical elements of the approved plan: indexing administrative positions off defined teacher schedules; setting the approved plan to a 30-step maximum now (with the option to model a future move to 40 steps and return to the board for approval); and keeping step increases and degree stipends broadly competitive with peer districts. Staff also said individual employees would receive letters showing how the new schedule affects their step and pay.

Board members pressed for more detailed modeling of a move to 40 steps; staff said they could run those figures and return to the board. The Director noted that some one-time capital projects can be removed from the projection to temporarily reduce the apparent deficit, but that recurring expenditures will still require balancing.

The board called for transparency about who would be affected and how human-resources adjustments would be communicated. At the end of debate, the board held a roll-call vote; multiple members voted yes and at least one member voted no. The motion passed.

The board directed staff to provide the detailed step-40 comparison and individualized letters to employees explaining the change. The change takes effect in the 2026–27 fiscal school year; staff and board members said further budget adjustments will be necessary to balance recurring expenses.