(The Center Square) – As Louisiana voters prepare to decide on a constitutional rewrite of Article VII in March, legislators are grappling with its potential impact on funding for early childhood education and higher education.
The proposed changes would eliminate certain trust funds, redirecting the money to pay down retirement debt and make teachers’ stipends a permanent pay raise.
However, portions of those trust funds had been supporting early childhood education programs, raising concerns about how to fill the resulting funding gap.
The Public Affairs Research Council hosted Sen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, and Reps. Mark Wright, R-Covington, and Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, to discuss the special session which made major changes to Louisiana’s tax code.
All three legislators emphasized the critical importance of early childhood education, but Foil said that he is “not sure what the plan will be.”
“Early childhood education is not something we’re walking away from — it’s a priority for everyone in the Legislature. The question is how we’ll replace the funding,” Wright said.
Higher education stakeholders, particularly those associated with Louisiana State University and other institutions, also expressed concerns about the unraveling of funds previously allocated to support colleges and universities.
Legislators have reportedly received assurances from Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson and the administration that a new fund will be created to prioritize higher education and address the funding gap.
Duplessis highlighted commitments made during negotiations, including promises to bolster funding for historically Black colleges and universities such as Grambling State and Southern.
“There were some pretty direct conversations with the administration about funding for early childhood education and HBCUs. Assurances were made to not only backfill funding but to provide a historic level of support for those universities,” Duplessis said.
Wright and other legislators remain cautiously optimistic.
“These discussions brought comfort to many colleagues who saw wins in those commitments,” Wright said. However, he acknowledged that achieving a balanced approach will require addressing numerous smaller but vital concerns to gain the necessary votes in the House.
As previously reported, committee members of the House Education Committee raised concerns about the elimination of the Quality Education Support Fund to help pay for the raises.
Part of that fund was used to provide support to early childhood education. The language in the original bill did not leave any room for the funding to provide support.
After amendments were passed, any excess funding must go toward instruction and school administration, as defined by State Board of Education rules and minimum foundation program requirements, or toward enhancing school security.
The funding debate comes as legislators plant to revisit broader tax reform efforts, including the expansion of sales taxes on services — a proposal met with resistance in part due to the administrative burden on small businesses.
