BGR report weighs in on proposed tax to give Jefferson Parish teachers pay raises

By Nicole Mumphrey

Source: Fox 8

April 9, 2019

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – In a new report released Tuesday morning, the Bureau of Governmental Research weighs in on a proposed tax to give Jefferson Parish teachers pay raises. The BGR report comes down in favor of the proposal saying the plan could help the school system attract and retain more effective teachers.

The report says while the system has worked to make its budget more efficient, the additional revenue is necessary to make those raises big enough to compete with salaries across the region.

BGR says the current tax proposal is more well-developed than the one rejected by voters in 2017.

The new tax would run for 10 years, beginning in 2019. It is expected to generate $28.8 million in the first year. If voters approve the tax, the Jefferson Parish School Board would implement a new pay plan for school system employees that it approved earlier this year.

The pay plan would direct 73 percent of revenue from the tax to teacher pay raises and incentive stipends.

The remaining 27 percent would fund a portion of support staff pay raises. The School System would supplement the new tax revenue with $4.5 million from current revenues that it will make available through new budgeting efficiencies. The additional money would fund the remaining support staff pay raises, as well as raises and stipends for school and district leaders.

The proposition will be voted on May 4.

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