BESE meets after Education Committee votes down funding proposal

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education deferred action Wednesday on the proposed 2023-24 Minimum Foundation Program (formula).

BESE met days after the Louisiana Senate Education Committee voted down BESE’s previous proposal. State news agencies are reporting the proposal included a $2,000 raise for teachers, and a $1,000 raise for support staff. It also includes stipends for teachers who work in critical needs areas and teachers who exceed expectations.

BESE was meeting to consider how to move forward, but said it is deferred action, “anticipating more progress in legislative discussions regarding the advancement of the MFP resolution.”

Senate President Page Cortez said it sent the MFP proposal back to BESE because the Louisiana House had already voted to remove some of the requested money from the executive budget.

The MFP is a yearly formula used to allocate education funding to school districts.

“The MFP formula is critically important to our K-12 students, educators, and school systems,” BESE president Dr. Holly Boffy said in a statement. “The successful passage of this annual funding proposal ultimately hinges on a consensus among BESE members and lawmakers on education funding priorities. As we move toward that consensus, our Board remains committed to working with the legislature to advance a formula that increases funding for education and recognizes our teachers as the leading in-school factor in creating positive outcomes for children.”