Louisiana's top school board just signed off on a plan to give districts a little extra breathing room in their operating budgets. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to raise the "Level 3" per student operating allotment from $100 to $147, a move that would pump roughly $30 million into K-12 funding statewide if lawmakers go along with the plan.
As reported by New Orleans CityBusiness, the increase is aimed squarely at the fixed costs districts cannot easily cut, even when enrollment slips. "Level 3 of the formula is a flat per pupil amount," said Ashley Townsend of the Louisiana Department of Education, noting that this operating expense figure has not been updated since 2008.
Enrollment dip helps offset cost
BESE's math leans on a projected enrollment drop of about 12,000 to 13,000 students. The board estimates that decline would reduce Level 1 costs by roughly $42 million, which more than covers the $30 million operating bump and leaves an estimated $12.9 million unspoken for in the Minimum Foundation Program agency budget.
The board also points out that the MFP is funded at about $4.265 billion for fiscal 2026 while total state K-12 spending sits near $5.4 billion, according to New Orleans CityBusiness. In other words, this proposed increase is a relatively small tweak inside a very large pie.
Tutoring, internships and pay: where those dollars live
High-dosage tutoring, internships and differentiated pay are not getting baked directly into the MFP formula this round. Instead, BESE and the Department of Education say those priorities are being pursued through the governor's budget and separate legislative resolutions.
In earlier discussions, BESE identified $30 million for high-dosage tutoring, $17.5 million for differentiated compensation and $2 million for internships and apprenticeships. Program details are outlined in the board's announcement at BESE and in resources from the Louisiana Department of Education.
Next stop: the Capitol
State law requires BESE to adopt an MFP formula every year and send it to the Legislature, which can either approve the plan or return it with changes. That back-and-forth is grounded in the state constitution and interpreted in a series of court decisions, detailed at Justia.
Lawmakers will take up the proposal in the coming weeks as they sort through overall budget priorities and any adjustments they want to make. For now, the $30 million boost sits on deck, waiting for its turn under the Capitol dome.
