Jefferson Parish teachers and other staff members to get pay raise (2024)

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. NEW TONIGHT JEFFERSON PARISH TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WILL SOON SEE MORE MONEY ON THEIR PAYCHECKS. TONIGHT, THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VOTED VOTED TO APPROVE A 5% PAY RAISE. THAT’S RIGHT. THE BOARD SAYS THAT THE RAISE IS PERMANENT AND IT’S SELF FUNDED BY THE DISTRICT. WDSU REPORTER JONAH GILMORE LIVE IN JEFFERSON. JONAH, HOW ARE TEACHERS REACTING TO THE INCREASE? WELL, GINA SELLERS, THE BOARD SAYS THEY’VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES TO RETAIN TEACHERS. AND ALTHOUGH THIS INCREASE IS NOT WITH THE PARISHES FEDERATION OF TEACHERS WANTED, THEY SAY THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN. THEY ARE IN DIRE NEED OF RAISES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HARD WORK AND THE DEDICATED WORK THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DO. JEFFERSON PARISH TEACHERS ARE NOW GETTING A PAY RAISE, SOMETHING THEY HAVEN’T SEEN SINCE 2019. IT ISN’T ENOUGH GIVEN WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY. INFLATION. AND I’VE BEEN TO THE PODIUM MANY TIMES TALKING ABOUT WHAT TEACHERS AND WHAT OUR SCHOOL SUPPORTS. SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF FACE. THE RAISE IS APPROXIMATELY 5%, WHICH COMES OUT TO $2,500 FOR CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND 2000 FOR NON CERTIFIED TEACHERS. IT’S GOING TO HELP US IN TERMS OF RETENTION OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE NOW AND HOPEFULLY AID IN RECRUITING NEW PEOPLE. JEFFERSON PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER RALPH BRANDT SAYS MONEY USED FOR THE RAISES BECAME AVAILABLE AFTER THE DISTRICT MOVED TO CONSOLIDATE SEVEN SCHOOLS. WHETHER WE CAN DO ADDITIONAL SCRUBBING OR HAVING TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR. BRANDT SAYS IF THE PLANS TO GIVE THE DISTRICT WORKERS A RAISE WAS APPROVED LONG BEFORE THE STATE GAVE ITS FINAL APPROVAL TO BUDGET BILLS, THOSE BUDGET BILLS WILL ALSO GIVE TEACHERS A $2,000 STIPEND, ALLOWING THEM TO SEE AN INCREASE OF UP TO FOUR GRAND. WHEN THE STATE GIVES A PAY RAISE, THE BOAT RISES FOR EVERYBODY, SO IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY AFFECT THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN PARISHES, ACCORDING TO BOARD MEMBER MICHAEL PADALINO, TEACHER SALARIES IN NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS LIKE SAINT CHARLES AND SAINT TAMMANY ARE STILL HIGHER, BUT THIS MOVE COULD MAKE G-P MORE COMPETITIVE. KYIV. BUT IF WE CAN KEEP INCREASING AND DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER, WE CAN KEEP THEM HERE AND KEEP THEM HOME. WHILE THE RAISE IS NOT WITH THE TEACHERS FEDERATION WAS HOPING FOR IS SOMETHING THEY SAY THEY CAN APPRECIATE FOR NOW. IT IS A GREAT STEP. IT’S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OF COURSE, WE’D LIKE TO SEE MORE FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. NOW WE’RE TOLD OTHER SUPPORT STAFF LIKE COACHES AND BAND DIRECTORS WILL ALSO SEE INCREASES. WE’RE TOLD THOSE INCREASES WILL GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE 20 2425 SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEY WILL SEE THAT INCREASE ON THEIR CHECKS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER. ALL RIGHT, JONAH, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, LET’S TALK TRANSPORTATION NOW, WE UNDERSTAND JEFFERSON PARISH ALSO, CONSIDERING LEASING BUSSES TO ADDRESS ANY TRANSPORTATION CONCERNS AHEAD OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. WHAT DID THEY DECIDE ON THAT? WELL, GINA, THE BOARD DECIDED TO DEFER THAT VOTE UNTIL THEIR JULY MEETING. THEY SAY AT LEAST IN TEN BUSSES IS TOO EXPENSIVE. SAYING THOSE BUSSES WAS TOTALLY MORE THAN $826,000 TO LEASE THEM FOR JUST THREE YEARS. WE’RE LIVE IN JEFFERS