LAFAYETTE, La. — From retention to recruitment, teacher incentives took center stage at Thursday’s Lafayette Parish School Board meeting, as board members unanimously approved new measures designed to attract educators and boost classroom attendance.
“For the teachers, the message I would like to send to them is that you are valued,” said board member Amy Trahan after the vote.
The newly approved incentives include a $3,000 stipend for Algebra 1 and Geometry teachers — positions officials say are in high demand. “This is to entice and to try to get people from outside to be able to come and fill these positions because it’s critical that these teachers are in the classroom with kids,” said Superintendent Francis Touchet. “Right now we’re having to take instructional leaders and have them teach those classes.”
In addition to the subject-specific stipend, the board adopted an attendance bonus program, awarding $1,000 to teachers who have no absences from January through May, and $500 to those with two or fewer absences during that period.
“Yes, it’s hard to take in that we’re having to give money out, but listen, kids mean more to me than anything and I am trying to do everything that we can, because if we don’t have our kids in school, and we don’t have our educators and teachers in front of those kids, that education cannot happen,” Touchet said.
While cost was a concern, the board assured the community that funding for the incentives is already accounted for in their current budget. “We make certain that there’s funds available in our budget to be able to provide this incentive, so we’re not taking away from any other project,” Trahan said.
Board members emphasized that the incentives will remain in place only if they deliver the intended results. “Everything’s modeled around our four pillars that we released, and that’s what we want to do. We want to improve every one of those core values. And if what we do does not go towards that, then we’re going to change it or get rid of it,” board member Roddy Bergeron said.
Officials say these incentives are part of ongoing efforts to build stronger futures for Lafayette Parish students.
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