CO ONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST: U.S. HITS ‘MULTIPLE TARGETS’ IN IRAN 5A
N O L A.C O M
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T h u r s d ay, J u n e 11, 2026
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School leaders balk at proposed cuts Landry wants to use funds for teacher bonuses BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
In public statements and private conversations with lawmakers, Louisiana’s school superintendents are sounding the alarm about Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal to pay for teacher bonuses by cutting public school funding. In recent days, school district leaders have publicly raised con-
cerns at school board meetings and on social media about the nearly $170 million proposed reduction in state funding, warning that it could jeopardize school programs and staff positions. They also have shared their concerns privately in letters and calls with state legislators, who must vote this month on Landry’s plan, which needs the backing of two-thirds of the Legislature to take effect.
The superintendents have challenged Landry’s suggestion that they tap their rainy-day funds to pay for the stipends, and they argued that the governor’s decision to exclude certain school staffers — including principals and counselors — from the bonus pay is bad for morale. They also say the proposed cut, which represents about 5% of state funding for K-12 schools, will be especially painful
for rural districts that rely heavily on state money to keep their schools running. The tiny Caldwell Parish school system in recent years has eliminated teaching positions, shuttered a school and tapped its reserves to plug a budget hole caused by declining enrollment, said Superintendent Nicki McCann. Now, under Landry’s plan, the district is looking at a roughly $423,000 reduction in state spending — a “devastating” amount that could send the school system into a tailspin,
French Quarter construction proving bad for business
McCann said. “I immediately called our legislators and said, ‘Y’all, we can’t do this,’ ” she said, warning them that the threat is existential. “In two to three years, we’re going to be handing you the keys to our school system and saying, ‘We’re closing.’” For the past three years, Louisiana has given $2,000 stipends to teachers and $1,000 to support staff instead of permanent raises.
ä See CUTS, page 8A
Moreno to push for new parcel fee Money would fund drainage, roadwork BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Sewerage & Water Board project construction is reflected in the window of Cafe Sbisa on Decatur Street on Wednesday. The restaurant said last weekend that the ongoing construction had forced it to close permanently.
Owners fear same fate as Café Sbisa BY MARTHA SANCHEZ
Staff writer
The owners whose businesses line several blocks of construction in New Orleans’ French Quarter say they are trying to keep running. But LUFU NOLA, an Indian restaurant whose chefs have won recognition on the distinguished Michelin Guide, announced
this week that its Decatur Street location would close due to the ongoing construction. Café Sbisa, a French-Creole restaurant on Decatur Street, also said last weekend that the roadwork had forced it to close permanently. The shutterings are a sobering moment for others on Decatur and nearby St. Peter Street who fear the same fate for their retail shops. Their challenge began last summer, when the Sewerage & Water Board began a more than $9 million project to replace 115-year-old water mains on the busy streets. Progress was delayed on St. Peter
Street in November and December after workers unexpectedly found and excavated artifacts related to two significant 18th-century fires in the French Quarter. The S&WB now says the project, a key step to improve the resilience of old infrastructure, will be finished in stages this summer and is on track for completion in late September. At a City Council Public Works Committee meeting on Tuesday, S&WB leaders acknowledged the business owners’ frustration and said workers are making progress.
ä See BUSINESS, page 7A
Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration will ask voters in spring 2027 to consider a new parcel fee to fund drainage and other infrastructure priorities, officials said Wednesday as they offered the most details yet about the city’s plans. Administration officials promised a Sewerage & Water Board committee Wednesday that the fee, if approved, would not lead to new financial burdens for property owners who already pay taxes. In response, S&WB members agreed to let a consultant come up with a plan for how such a fee might work, signaling a new willingness from the board to collaborate with the administration on the parcel fee idea. The committee in May refused to tap Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. for that work and instead instructed it to continue work on a fee just for stormwater projects. Revenue from the new parcel fee envisioned by the Moreno administration could go toward drainage and water pipes, catch basins, sidewalks and other rights of way improvements. Two more approvals are needed before Raftelis can get to work on a parcel fee. The Infrastructure Advisory Board, an independent body that controls the tourism tax revenue that funds the Raftelis contract, will consider a contract
ä See MORENO, page 7A
N.O. residents will soon get help affording fortified roof costs BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer
New Orleans is setting up a program to help homeowners cover out-of-pocket costs when putting a fortified roof on their home, amid a windfall of state grants this year that will expand the city’s number of homes with stronger roofs. The City Council Community Development Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to send about $640,000 to the new roof program, the latest step officials have taken to try to alleviate a
WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 74 PAGE 8B
yearslong insurance crisis that is pushing homeowners to the brink. Committee Chair Matthew Willard, who also worked on homeowners insurance as a state legislator in recent years, said the program will be a “sliding scale” for homeowners based on income. It will be available to homeowners who win the state grant lottery. Willard said it should help reduce the dropout rate of New Orleans homeowners who win the state grant for fortified roofs, which covers costs up to $10,000 but leaves homeowners on the hook for the rest of the money. Many
recipients drop out because they cannot afford the additional out-of-pocket costs. “We’re trying to help the greater New Orleans metro area reach a point of market saturation,” Willard said. “Once we reach that point, more insurance companies will be interested in covering the greater New Orleans area, which will bring premiums down for everyone.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance has completed about 5,000
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Workers with Sunbelt Roofs install a fortified roof with ä See ROOF, page 8A impact-rated shingles on a home last month.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
13TH yEAR, NO. 303