The Lafayette Parish School Board has approved additional salary increases for school support personnel and bus drivers as part of the 2026-27 budget, continuing a multi-year effort to improve employee compensation across the district.
Beginning July 1, 2026, the starting salary for a new LPSS bus driver will increase to $25,000, more than $4,000 above the current starting salary. Each step on the bus driver pay scale will also increase by approximately $4,000.
The approved budget also includes a $1,500 annual salary increase for several school-based support positions, including clerks, secretaries, bookkeepers, C-Print Captionists, paraeducators, proctors, ISS facilitators, LPNs, and bus attendants.
The latest adjustments build on compensation increases implemented over the past year for teachers, cafeteria staff, technicians, custodians, and other employee groups. LPSS has also added incentive pay opportunities for teachers, athletic coaches, and club sponsors.
Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr. said the district’s continued focus on employee compensation is about both recognizing the value of school employees and ensuring LPSS remains competitive in attracting and retaining quality staff.
“Our teachers and staff deserve to earn more, and these adjustments are also necessary to keep Lafayette Parish competitive for recruitment and retention,” Touchet said. “Over the past two and a half years, we’ve worked to improve pay across the system beginning with teacher raises and continuing with increases for support staff throughout the district. Salaries for all school personnel have been reviewed and adjusted. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and thankful to the Board for recognizing and responding to these needs.”
Updated salary schedules for bus drivers and support personnel will be available beginning July 1.