Colonels say focus on scouting aiding successes
April 24, 2019
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DRILL
April 25, 2019
On Tuesday, April 16, the House Education Committee heard testimony from the Department of Education and BESE regarding HCRl which contains their proposed MFP formula. MFP stands for “Minimum Foundation Program.” which is the constitutionally protected money that funds the bulk of K-12 education.
For the upcoming year, BESE’s current MFP proposal includes pay raises for teachers and support state at $1,000 per year and $500 per year respectively, totaling $101 million. It also includes an additional increase of $39 million in base pupil spending The $39 million would be made available to school boards to use at their discretion.
The meet important thing to know about the MFP formula is that it is a constitutionally protected RECURRING expense that can only be altered by BESE. The House Education Counnittee does not have the authority to amend the MFP formula. We can only approve the formula, reject it. or send it back to BE SE with recommendations. In this instance, the committee asked BESE to alter the MFP formula the teachers and support staff pay raises, but remove the $2£ million in discretionary spending from the MFP.
While BESE controls the MFP formula, the legislature has to deal with the reality of the state’s budget and ultimately decides what can be funded. Although Governor John Bel Edwards promised pay raises for teachers and support staff, he failed to provide an Executive Budget that funds them. The House budget proposal, HB105, includes funding for the pay raises, but not the $39 million spending increase that BESE rolled into the MFP formula. If we were to keep that $39 million in BESE’s current MFP proposal,, it is doomed to fail because it couldn’t lie fun “fed. The result would be an automatic return to the most recently passed MFP formula; a formula that does not include the pay raises.
Because I voted with the majority of the committee to protect our teacher pay raises by requesting that BESE alter their MFP formula, I have received messages from teachers, retired teachers, and teachers1 unions scolding me for my vote However, my position is the same as theirs and probably yours: to ensure our teachers have a permanent pay raise. By requesting BESE remove the $39 million from the MFP. I’m doing my best to ensure that the pay raises happen. And as a member of the Appropriations committee – a committee that decides where the discretionary money goes -1 will be diligent in trying to find the $39 million in oar budget to help our schools with other expenses as we work through the budget process.
My passion for education is what has led me to where I am today I’m here to Serve you and the best interests of District 51. I’ll never forget or neglect that. If you have any questions or concerns about this issue or any other legislation, please don’t hesitate to contact ma I can be readied through my office at 965-666-2997 or via email at AmedeeB@legis.la.gov. •
