November 2025

Once again, TRSL’s annual valuation report contains great news for employers.

For the eighth consecutive year, employers will see a reduction in the recommended employer contribution rate.

The recommended contribution rate for K-12 Regular Plan employers (as well as Lunch Plans A & B) for next school year is 19.11%, down from 20.95%. For higher education Regular Plan employers, the projected rate is 18.86%, a decrease from 20.33%.

These contribution rates will become official upon adoption of TRSL’s FY 2025 actuarial valuation report by the Public Retirement Systems’ Actuarial Committee (PRSAC), which usually meets in December. TRSL will notify employers once the FY 2026-27 contribution rate becomes official.

This year’s valuation was packed with lots of positive news – and we’re not just talking about the continued decrease in the employer contribution rate.

Here are a few key points:

Funded status up: The system’s funded status now stands at 80.3%. This is a significant milestone for a system whose funded status was 55% on the heels of an economic downturn in 2008. Reaching an 80% funded level is a benchmark commonly cited in pension administration as an indicator of a retirement system’s good health.
Market value of assets up: The market value of assets grew from $27.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 to $29.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2025.
UAL down: The Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL) dropped more than $880 million to $7.2 billion.

A constitutional amendment on the ballot next spring could mean a further drop in the employer contribution rate and funding for permanent salary increases for teachers and school personnel.

The ballot language in Act 222 calls for amending the state constitution to take the balance in three constitutionally protected education trust funds and use it to pay retirement debt. Since payment of this debt is factored into the annual employer contribution rate, the rate would decrease.

A companion piece of legislation, Act 366, directs the savings from the reduced employer contribution rate to be used to make permanent salary increases of $2,250 certified personnel and $1,125 for noncertified personnel beginning in the 2026-27 school year, if the constitutional amendment passes.

We’ll keep employers updated on the constitutional amendment and potential impacts to the FY 2026-27 contribution rate.

Beginning July 1, 2026, payment of the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) administrative fee will be split between participants and employers. Currently, ORP participants alone pay this fee.

As a result of the change, the ORP employer contribution rate will reflect three decimal places instead of two. This will accommodate the three components of the employer rate: the transfer rate (amounts transferred to the participant’s account), the UAL payment, and the new employer portion of the administrative fee.

TRSL encourages employers to work with their IT staff to make the necessary programming modifications to their reporting systems to accommodate the three-decimal rate by July 1, 2026.

We’d like to thank all employers who participated in our recent survey about the state’s return-to-work (RTW) laws.

As employers, you know the challenges of filling school vacancies within the RTW framework. That’s why your voices are important to the study requested by the Louisiana Senate during this year’s legislative session. The study’s goal is to recommend changes to the RTW laws that create simplicity, balance the needs of employers and retirees, and maintain the soundness of the retirement system.

With results from the employer survey and a separate retiree survey, TRSL and stakeholders representing K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, and retirees have worked over the past three months on potential policy changes affecting reemployment. Recommendations from the stakeholder group will be submitted to the legislature before the end of the calendar year.

We’ll keep you informed of further developments.

In the meantime, thank you again for your participation.

Click to View Our Channel

We’ve launched a new YouTube Channel that’s just for employers!

Our channel is packed with great on-demand resources. You’ll find helpful videos on return-to-work laws and the Optional Retirement Plan. You’ll also find the most recent annual Employer Training sessions.

This digital library is a click away. Tune in today @TRSLEmployerServices and make sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss a single update.

The new year is right around the corner, and that means our Annual Employer Training is, too. Mark your calendars now for this virtual learning experience.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the job, Annual Employer Training contains something for everyone.

Here are the dates:

Tuesday, March 17, 2026: K-12 and Charter Schools
Wednesday, March 18, 2026: Higher Education
Thursday, March 19, 2026: State agencies

More details on next year’s training format and registration information will be provided in January.

Have a lot of employees in need of a zero posting? You can contact your Retirement Benefits Liaison and request that TRSL process a mass zero posting.

We recently asked Employers to include an email address (work or personal) for new hires during the enrollment process. On January 1, 2026, it will become mandatory to fill in the email field when processing enrollments in EMIS.

Email addresses help TRSL communicate with members about Member Access and other retirement system resources.

Have questions? Contact your Retirement Benefits Liaison.

As part of our ongoing series introducing you to our talented Employer Services Department (ESD) staff, we’re shining the spotlight on someone who’s likely a familiar face – or, at the very least, a familiar voice.

Meet Kelly Resnick, an employer trainer, who spends her workday talking to employers. Kelly is usually on the phone explaining TRSL procedures. She’s also happy to help members who are accidentally sent to her extension.

Job Duties: I conduct phone, Zoom, and in-person trainings for our employer contacts who need assistance with TRSL. I also participate in the annual employer trainings.

Tenure at TRSL: 12 years in January.

What drew you to TRSL: I was drawn to work at a state agency for the benefits…insurance, leave, etc., but I am so thankful I chose TRSL due to the great staff and work environment.

What’s your favorite part of the job: What I love most about my job is helping our employers (and sometimes our members) when they call for assistance.

A fun fact about you: I love to travel. I just returned from a trip to Italy.

PO Box 94123
Baton Rouge, LA | 70804 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.