Bill would make it easier for retired Louisiana teachers to return

Published: April 1, 2026

By: Dakota Lazlo, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana is still facing a shortage of about 1,200 teachers, according to testimony at a House hearing this week.

The shortage was more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic, when classrooms across the state struggled to keep staff as thousands of teachers retired over health concerns or work difficulties.

Lawmakers moved then to temporarily loosen restrictions on retired teachers returning to work, and now they are looking for a longer-term solution to reduce the remaining gap.

The Senate Finance Committee voted 6-1 Monday to advance Senate Bill 14, authored by Sen. Ed Price, D-Gonzales. It would reorganize and simplify the rules governing how retired teachers can return to work under the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.

Read more at Houma Today.