Is the future of Vermilion’s high-ranking education in jeopardy because of low salaries?

For the last 12 years, Vermilion Parish residents could always puff their chests out because they knew they lived in one of the best school districts in Louisiana.
They could travel to surrounding parishes and brag to their friends that they live in Vermilion Parish because Vermilion has the best public school systems in Acadiana and one of the top 10 in the state.
Three years ago, Vermilion climbed as high as the state’s No. 2 ranked school system.
But that high ranking could change over the next couple of years if Vermilion Parish can not recruit certified teachers.
The parish has a record number of 60 uncertified teachers out of 664 teachers in the classrooms. That figures to just under 10 percent of the parish teachers are non-certified. A few years back, uncertified teachers were rare in Vermilion Parish.
“We are not getting that influx of teachers from Lafayette Parish, Iberia Parish, and Acadiana Parish, who all pay more than us,” said Superintendent Tommy Byler. “
“In some of our surrounding areas teachers can make 4-5 thousand more than us.
At one time, Vermilion ranked in the top two in the Acadiana area regarding salaries. No longer. The parish ranks number 10 out of 11 Acadiana parishes in teacher pay.
Byler said it is getting harder to recruit new teachers coming out of college because of the parish’s salary.
“Who does not want to go to a parish that pays more?” Byler said. “A brand new teacher sees the starting salary of each parish, and they are going to go to the parish that pays the most.”
The school board has decided the only way to attract and keep teachers and support workers in Vermilion Parish is to pay them more.
On April 30, the voters are being asked to support a 1/2 cent sales tax that is dedicated to employee salaries and benefits. It will bring in a total of $4.2 million per year.
The School Board will use $3 million for salaries and $1 2 million for retirement benefits.
How much of a raise will it be for teachers?
The starting pay for a new teacher is $41,000. If the tax is approved, the projected increase in pay will be $2,100 a year. Every school employee who makes $20,000 will receive a $1,000 pay raise. If the employee makes $60,000 a year, it will be a $3,000 raise.
The raise will be around a five to six percent increase in the base pay schedule for all employees.
“We are trying to keep what we have in our school system,” Byler said. “To continue getting results, we have to be in the competitive market to fight for certified teachers.”
Vermilion Parish may have one of the highest sales taxes in the state at 10.5 percent, but it is not because of education. Vermilion collects only 1.5 percent in sales tax for education. That is the lowest out of the 62 other parishes. A majority of the parishes collect 2 to 2.5 percent.
“We have a good school system. People want to come into our school system,” he said. “We have to remain competitive in the market for teachers as well as all of the support employees that our district needs as well.
“The passing of this tax would show public support for our school employees.”
What happens if it does not pass?
Byler said the salary schedule would stay the same, but he expects to lose more teachers and support workers to other parishes.
“We will have decisions that will need to be made. The quality of education might fall off because of uncertified teachers,” he said.