BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s education superintendent says salaries for public school teachers need to be raised.

State Superintendent of Education John White made his comments Thursday on a local radio show. The Advocate reports that White noted teacher pay has slipped below the regional average after Louisiana reached that longtime target in 2007.

The latest figures compiled by the Southern Regional Education Board, for the 2015-16 school year, show Louisiana teachers are paid $49,244 on average, compared to the $50,949 regional average. The national average is $58,064.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he hopes to recommend to lawmakers an increase in public school financing next year that would help pay for teacher raises. White says the state needs to be sensitive to pay for shortage areas, including math and science teachers.