QUALITY EDUCATION WEBS I T E - MEANS QUALITY ADDR E

A better approach would be to distribute the raises in a way that prioritizes the poorest districts, and the jobs that are hardest to fill. [...] For example, the median cost to buy a house in the districts with the highest and lowest 2018 starting salaries share are very similar ($85,900 and $77,400, respectively) - and in both places are far below the state median ($152,900). [...] Furthermore, Chart 4 displays a positive correlation between the hourly rate teachers experienced in the 2017 school year and the percentage of teachers who remained teaching in the same school from 2017 to 2018. [...] Given that the difference in a teacher’s starting salary can range from $27,499 to $56,118, depending on the hiring school district, the Legislature should look to ensure that future raises are weighted toward the districts where they’re needed the most, and the subject areas where recruiting qualified and certified applicants is most difficult. [...] The following policy recommendations, if adopted, would lead Louisiana to a more adequately and equitably funded state school system: ● To combat the large discrepancies in teacher pay across the state, future pay raises should be distributed in a similar fashion to Level 1 of the MFP.