When Louisiana voters head to the polls on May 16, Amendment 3 could be one of the most talked-about questions on the ballot, especially for families in Caddo and Bossier Parish with ties to public schools.
On the surface, it sounds straightforward: create permanent raises of $2,250 for teachers and $1,125 for support staff. Once you look closer, though, it becomes clear why this proposal is drawing real debate.
What Amendment 3 Would Do
Amendment 3 would use money from three constitutionally protected education funds to help pay down debt in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. The thinking is simple enough. If part of that retirement debt is reduced, school systems would see lower future retirement costs.
Those savings would then be used to turn recent temporary stipends into permanent raises built into salary schedules…