Livingston Parish School Board Approves Pay Raise

Livingston Parish School Board Approves Pay Raise Proposal Largest Local Compensation Package Ever
Posted on 08/05/2022
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Largest Local Compensation Package Ever

LIVINGSTON, La. – Livingston Parish School System employees will experience their largest local compensation package ever this school year thanks to the school board’s approval Thursday night (Aug. 4) of a payroll proposal submitted by Superintendent Joe Murphy.
Murphy presented a pay increase proposal that included a permanent boost from the state, which was approved by the State Legislature in the 2022 General Session -- $1500 for teachers and district educators, and $750 for classified staff. That pay increase will be “supplemented” by the local district under Murphy’s plan, to include another $500 for teachers and district educators and $250 for classified staff.
He said these added supplements obligate the district to dedicate an additional $1.9 million each year to salaries and benefits.
“These combined increases give our teachers a permanent pay raise of $2,000 per person, and our classified staff a pay raise of $1,000 per person,” Murphy said. He noted that these increases would be retroactive to July 1. 2022.
“It’s a significant commitment on behalf of the state and the district, but with that said, it’s still short of where we want to be,” he said.
That’s why, in addition to the permanent increases, Murphy also proposed a one-time supplement of $1,000 for every employee, plus a 3-percent salary supplement as calculated after the other increases are put into place for the 2022-2023 school year, which the board approved.
“The percentage increase on top of the supplement, which comes on top of the state’s increase and the district’s supplement, accounts for the largest local compensation package this school system has ever been able to hand out,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the supplements will be paid in two installments, with half of the amount issued on Nov. 4, 2022, and the remaining half of the amount issued on May 5, 2023.
According to the plan, full-time/active employees who are eligible to receive the supplements are defined as those working a minimum of 182 workdays this school year; those employees who work less time, but remain eligible for the supplements, will see their total amount prorated according to their hours worked.
Any employees who resign or retire prior to Oct. 31, 2022 will not be eligible for either supplemental payment; any employees who resign or retire prior to April 28, 2023 will not be eligible for the second supplement.
Murphy noted that these supplements are expected to cost $10.7 million, and those monies will be pulled from the district’s general fund.
“The unfortunate factor is that the additional $1,000 and 3-percent supplements are one-time only. We would have liked to put more in the permanent pay structure but couldn’t do it, but a recent increase in sales tax does allow us to give these supplements this year, so we wanted to do it now when people need the extra cash,” Murphy said. “We certainly believe our actions represent a step in the right direction.”