Lafayette Parish School Board Approves Teacher and Employee Stipend

(Lafayette, LA) - The Lafayette Parish School Board voted Thursday night to approve a $2,000 stipend for teachers and other eligible employees, according to Lafayette Parish School Board member Kate Labue.

Although an amendment on the ballot earlier this year to make the stipend permanent failed to pass, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order requiring school districts to give them the raise.

Landry's executive order mandates $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for other workers. The Lafayette Parish School Board voted to make the amount the same for all system employees, so that each group gets the same.

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Substitutes, temporary workers, those on leave without pay, contract workers, and tutors will not be eligible for the check.

According to officials, the check will be in addition to the usual check that school employees receive at the beginning of the month.

The Lafayette Parish School Board Voted To Give Teachers And Others Money

The Lafayette Parish School System announced that it will distribute the stipends before the end of the year for all eligible employees employed by November 11, 2026.

The date the $2,000 extra stipend check will be issued has not yet been decided.  September, according to Tracy Wirtz, the system's communications director.

Wirtz adds that the school system employees who will also receive a stipend are "full-time support personnel who receive benefits."

Lafayette Parish School Superintendent Says The Stipend Is So Deserved

Lafayette Parish School Superintendent Francis Touchet says teachers and others in the school system deserve a stipend for their dedication to their work, regardless of their specific role.

Touchet says that he is in contact with all employees when he visits schools, and he knows how hard everyone is working. He says they deserve the pay.

The Lafayette Parish School System offers instruction to nearly 30,000 children.