BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Education issued new guidance outlining how school districts can ensure their budgets are compliant with a state executive order that redirects $168 million toward teachers and support staff pay increases for the 2026-27 school year.

Executive Order 26-047 reduced the Minimum Foundation Program by $168 million and redirected those funds through the Department of Education. Teachers are set to receive at least $2,000 and support staff at least $1,000.

The $168 million figure is based on the cost of one-time stipends at those amounts, including employer retirement contributions. City and parish school systems, Legacy Type 2 charter schools, New Type 2 charter schools, lab schools, state schools and RSD-operated and Type 5 charter schools will all receive an allocation under the order.

LDOE's guidance, sent to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and presented at a special meeting held on July 23, describes three possible situations for the state's school systems as they prepare to enter the school year:
- If a system already adopted a budget and salary schedule that meets the $2,000 teacher and $1,000 support staff threshold, it is considered compliant and no further action is needed.
- If a system's adopted increases fall short of those amounts, it must issue additional stipends or pay raises so the total for each employee reaches the required level no later than May 1, 2027.
- If a system provided no increase at all, the full allocation must be distributed as stipends of $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff, also no later than May 1, 2027.

Additionally, the new guidance says step increases tied to years of service or added education do not count toward the required raise. However, if a school system raised the dollar amounts of each pay step for 2026-2027, the added amount does count.

Any budget reductions made to cover the required increases must come from non-instructional expenditures. Security, transportation and food services must remain intact.

Every stipend or pay raise must also be backed by board minutes approving the budget and board minutes adopting the salary schedule that includes the increases.

Positions not included in the allocation calculation include therapists, specialists, counselors, school-based principals and assistant principals, central office administrators, school nurses, pre-K program teachers and support positions and resident teachers.