BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The first step toward raising teacher pay in East Baton Rouge Parish could move forward Thursday as Superintendent LaMont Cole presents his proposed budget to the public during the school board’s first budget hearing.
The proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget totals nearly $840 million and includes a wide range of investments aimed at supporting employees, improving student achievement, and upgrading school facilities across the district.
At the center of the proposal is a compensation package that would increase starting teacher salaries from $50,000 to $56,000 annually. The budget also includes raises for all district employees, a move Cole says reflects the value of the people serving students every day.
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“This budget is about people first,” Cole said in a recent statement. “We are investing in our employees.”…