Gov. John Bel Edwards’ budget proposal for next year includes pay raises for teachers and other education spending increases.
The Edwards administration presented the recommendations for the year that begins July 1 to lawmakers on Friday.
More than $140 million in spending boosts are proposed for K-12 education, including a $1,000 across-the-board pay raise for public school teachers and a $500 salary bump for school support workers. Other dollars would go to block grants for school districts.
The Democratic governor also is recommending $11 million in new public college spending.
Edwards’ budget proposal is a wish list of sorts, not based on the state’s current income forecast. It assumes Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras eventually will relent and agree to adjust the projections to match economists’ recommendations.