School Board approves supplement payments for teachers, support staff

The Calcasieu Parish School Board approved the sales tax supplement for teachers and support staff at the monthly meeting on Tuesday.

Each year, CPSB divides excess sales tax funds that accumulated in the general gund to provide one-time salary supplements for CPSB employees. Teachers will receive a $7,185 supplement, and faculty and staff will receive a $5,030 supplement on October paychecks. Part-time workers will receive one-half of their role’s supplement.

The board also approved two state supplements: $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff. These supplements will be included on the November checks; Teachers evaluated as “highly effective” will also receive $350 on the November check.

Act 311 Aid

The board approved a motion from the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee to approve the Act 311 Allocation Plan.

During the 2024 legislative session, the state legislature approved Act 311, which requires schools to compensate teachers for work that is outside of the scope of their job description and completed outside of school hours. Over the summer, the board approved a salary schedule to ensure that teachers are paid a minimum of $30 an hour for extra hours worked and revised job descriptions.

To help schools with the extra cost, the board approved the plan with a cap of $200,000. Middle and high schools will receive about $3,500 (about 100 hours) and elementary schools will receive about $2,100 (about 60 hours).