It is the centerpiece of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' legislative goals for the 2019 session: a pay raise for public school teachers and millions of dollars in new funding for public education.
But while the teacher pay raise has bipartisan support, the school funding increase lacks the bicameral backing needed to get to the governor's desk.
"Legislators are very clear that they want to do the pay raises," said Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana. "They differ probably on how they want to give money to schools."
The state senate is advancing a plan for next fiscal year that contains a $1,000-a-year teacher pay raise and $39 million in block grant funding for school districts. The Louisiana House budget proposal calls for a higher pay raise for teachers, but allots no additional dollars for public schools.
Erwin suspects election year politics may be coming in to play, with some Republicans reluctant to give the Democratic governor a win headed into campaign season.
"I think in the House you actually see people who are trying to kind of go a little different way from the Governor, put him on the spot a little bit, kind of ruffle his feathers on really what was his proposal originally with the teacher pay raise," said Erwin.
Despite the politicking, Erwin believes legislators will get something on it passed before the June 6 deadline.
"Teachers are probably on pins and needles a little bit as are school districts to figure out are they going to get money, how much is it going to be, how is is going to be allocated and so this one may go down to the wire," said Erwin. "In the end, I think they can reach a compromise."