Latvia allocates nearly 680 million euros for teachers’ salaries

The Latvian government has allocated 679,651,631 euros in targeted grants for teachers’ salaries from September to December, LSM reported on Tuesday, September 29. The funding accounts for changes in student numbers and their distribution, the introduction of a new school funding model and the education needs of Ukrainian civilians.

The funding will cover teachers’ pay, grants distributed to municipalities and maintenance costs for special education institutions that provide boarding. From September 1, the “Programme at School” model is being introduced for general basic and secondary education.

The Education and Science Ministry distributed the funding based on information entered and approved by schools in the State Education Information System, including student numbers by education level and the programmes offered as of September 1, 2026.

The total number of state-funded students in municipal and private schools fell by 1,291 compared with September 2025. Municipal schools had 2,196 fewer students, while private schools had 962 more. A further 3,185 Ukrainian civilians were continuing their studies in Latvian schools as of September 1, 2026.

The grants to municipalities total 679,651,631 euros, up from 644,457,400 euros in 2025 and 622,102,510 euros in 2024.

To fund teachers’ salaries, the government reallocated 859,556 euros and provided an additional 779,904 euros from the state budget’s contingency funds. A further 742,955 euros was reallocated from funding for Ukrainian civilian support to cover education costs from September to December.