Bill Foster

Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill to give public school employees a month and a half of fully paid parental leave, but educators won’t be able to take advantage of the new benefit this school year.

The Senate voted 31-8 Sunday to approve Senate Bill 157, which requires school districts to give full and part-time employees six weeks of paid leave after they give birth, adopt or foster a child. Gov. Jeff Landry signed the legislation on Tuesday.

But the new policy almost certainly won’t take effect this school year after lawmakers ended the legislative session without funding the bill, which requires the state to reimburse districts for the cost of hiring substitute teachers. Instead, its supporters will have to press for funding to cover the bill’s estimated $6 million annual cost when lawmakers reconvene next year.

“We knew it was going to be tough this session, just given current economics and the funds that were available,” said Sen. Samuel Jenkins, D-Shreveport, the bill’s author. Hopefully “there will be opportunities to shift some funding.”

Last month, economists lowered Louisiana’s revenue projections for next fiscal year by roughly $100 million, leading lawmakers to last-minute budget cuts. Landry on Tuesday called for a $170 million reduction in public school funding to pay for $2,000 stipends for teachers.

Louisiana has no statewide parental leave policy for teachers. Instead, it’s left up to individual districts, most of which don’t offer any paid time off for employees looking to start a family.

The new measure aims to give public school workers the same benefits as state employees, who have received fully paid parental leave since 2024. It would bring Louisiana in line with a growing number of states to offer the benefit to teachers, particularly in the South.

But to take effect, the Legislature needs to come up with money to reimburse school systems for the added costs.

D’Shay Oaks, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, one of the state’s teachers unions, called the bill’s passage a “win.” But she warned that Louisiana, which has struggled with teacher shortages, may continue to see its number of educators drop if the law doesn’t take effect soon.

“If they don’t find funding, there may be more educators who delay starting a family,” she said, “or they may have to leave the profession altogether.”

What happens next?

Most school districts let employees take up to three months of unpaid leave, which is provided by federal law, but only after they’ve used all their sick days. In some instances, employees can request up to 30 days of extended medical leave at 65% pay, but many educators cannot get by on partial income.

Supporters of Jenkins’ bill, including the state's teachers unions and public health advocates, say it will improve retention rates and prevent teachers from forgoing paychecks when they have children.

But others were concerned about the expense to districts, with school board and superintendent groups saying it wasn’t feasible for school systems to shoulder the cost of paying teachers who are on leave, as well as their substitutes.

David Claxton, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said school districts only offer employees partially paid medical leave because they also cover the cost of teachers’ replacements.

“We couldn’t afford to pay 100% of their salary and cover substitutes,” he said.

To ease that burden, the bill created the “Paid Parental Leave for Educators Fund,” which aims to reimburse districts for the amount they pay for substitutes. Claxton said the state stepping in financially made it easier for district leaders to get on board with the bill.

It remains to be seen whether the Legislature will put money into the fund. After this year’s session wrapped up Monday, it’s unclear how long it could be until teachers see the benefit take effect.

Jenkins said he’s confident his colleagues will work with him next session, pointing out that paid parental leave aligns with many lawmakers’ family-centered values.

The new policy is “more than a benefit – you’re giving people an opportunity to bond with their family,” he said. “And like some of our neighboring states in the South, we’re trying to put resources behind our desire to see families grow.”