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Caddo Parish School Board approves $1,000 one-time stipend and $500 boost for lowest-paid staff
Summary
After extended debate over sustainability, the Caddo Parish School Board voted unanimously to approve a one-time $1,000 stipend for all employees, with an additional $500 for staff whose step‑0 pay is under $30,000, to be paid on or before Aug. 15, 2026.
The Caddo Parish School Board voted unanimously July 21 to provide a one-time $1,000 stipend to every district employee, and an additional $500 for employees on salary scales with a step‑0 pay under $30,000, with payments scheduled on or before Aug. 15, 2026.
Board member Darla Yates moved the recommendation and Miss Bell seconded. “Move to recommend a $1,000 stipend for all employees to be paid on or before 08/15/2026,” Yates read when introducing the item. The motion was added to the agenda earlier in the meeting after the superintendent said the district had received guidance from the Louisiana Department of Education about the stipend.
The policy and financial feasibility of making the payment permanent triggered the most debate. Board member Jasmine Green proposed a substitute motion to convert the one‑time stipend into a permanent $1,000 pay raise and the additional $500 for the lowest‑paid staff, but that substitute failed after discussion and a vote.
Chief Financial Officer (Mister Howard) cautioned the board that converting the stipend into a recurring pay raise would add roughly $7,000,000 to the FY2026‑27 budget and would leave the district with an unbalanced budget unless offsets were found. “To add a potential $7,000,000 in increase to 2627 going forward would give us an unbalanced budget,” Howard said, noting the approved stipend will be paid from surplus funds from the 2025‑26 fiscal year.
Superintendent Sandy Burton urged the board that approving the one‑time stipend would expedite payments to employees and that converting it to a permanent raise would require further financial analysis. The board directed staff to finalize payroll timing and communications; Burton said communications graphics were already prepared in case the vote passed.
The motion to approve the stipend carried unanimously; board members said they wanted to continue exploring whether a permanent raise could be made sustainable in future budgets.
