School workers to get pay raise

• By BOB ARDOIN
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Jul 3, 2009 - Page: 1BA

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OPELOUSAS — The St. Landry Parish School Board unanimously voted Thursday to give employees a $1,380 pay raise beginning in September.

The raise will cost the parish about $2.97 million and affect 2,156 workers, according to an Executive Committee report.

Superintendent Michael Nassif said funding will originate from a parishwide sales tax and property tax dedicated to salaries.

Nassif said salary schedule statistics indicate St. Landry currently ranks No. 42 statewide in teacher pay.

“We want to do better than that and become competitive in the region of Acadiana so that (the parish) can attract both the best and the brightest,” he said.

Nassif said he decided against giving workers a Christmas supplement in order to be able to fund the permanent salary increase.

Nassif also said that support workers, including secretaries, teachers’ aides, lunchroom employees and custodians were given the same raise as teachers and administrators.

“Last year Gov. (Bobby) Jindal granted the support employees a one-time $1,000 supplement and that supplement is no longer. I thought it would be best to make up that supplement and give (support personnel) an additional amount this year,” he said.

In another matter, a Finance Committee report indicated that because of state budget cuts, the school district will have to possibly reduce programs and curtail the hiring of employees.

St. Landry will “drastically reduce or eliminate” hiring uncertified teachers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria and maintenance workers and other programs, according to the committee report.

After the board meeting, Nassif said St. Landry expects to receive about $71 million in Minimum Foundation Program revenues from the state.

That amount is about the same as last year, he said.

MFP funding is determined by a formula that includes money given to districts for the number of students enrolled during a school year.