SUPERINTENDENT WHITE PRAISES 2019 LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES FOR LOUISIANA CHILDREN

Jun 06, 2019

BATON ROUGE, La. - State Superintendent of Education John White tonight released a statement upon the close of the Louisiana 2019 Regular Legislative Session. White said:

"It is a good legislative session when our state invests in our schools and when our schools demonstrate such exceptional academic returns on that investment. In recent weeks, our state announced that more students than ever before are graduating from high school, earning early college credit and industry-based credentials, achieving eligibility for TOPS, and enrolling in college. As the session comes to a close, I applaud the Governor, lawmakers, and BESE for continuing that progress, and for heeding the voices of families and educators across our state."

Among the victories for education and children, state leaders:

  • Raised pay for all public school teachers by $1,000 and for school support personnel by $500;
  • Added $39 million to the education funding formula to provide needed support for both employees and for ongoing operations of public schools;
  • Dedicated an additional $20 million in early childhood education to prevent a decrease in pre-kindergarten services due to loss of federal funds and to increase the number of slots available for childcare for low-income, working families; and
  • Supported enhanced opportunities for high school students to earn college credit and industry credentials aligned to workforce needs by creating task forces to accelerate each effort.

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