The St. Landry Parish School Board passed a budget with a $4.9 million deficit, but Superintendent Milton Batiste said it is a work in progress.
“We really have a lot of work to continue to do around the budget,” he said. “As you know the landscape of our district is looking different in terms of the number of offerings and opportunities for students,” he said.
Batiste said the budget relies on the student population, which has been in decline. The latest student enrollment count was 11,051, which includes 480 students at the Helix charter school in Opelousas and 248 students at the Ecolé French immersion charter school in Sunset.
The budget passed at Thursday’s meeting differed from one published for public review. The published budget had a deficit of $17.5 million, but that was reduced by a bond payment of $9.7 million, as it the one adopted.
Shaun Grantham, chief financial officer, presented the budget in a public hearing. The most recent changes to the budget were not available online or presented to the public on paper for Thursday’s meeting. Batiste said the budget may be ready to view on Monday on the district’s website.
The budget for the General Fund projects revenues of $137.7 million and expenses of $155.8 million in the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
The budget deficit carried over to a discussion about raising the pay of the school system’s maintenance foreman from $43,475 to $57,000 in a job description.
School Board member Mary Ellen Donatto said she just voted to approve a budget with a deficit. “I do not feel comfortable the same night adding to someone’s salary, and I don’t think it matters who we hire,” she said.
The case was presented that a maintenance foreman may save the district money, but Donatto and Board member Raymond Cassimere doubted that.
“We’re going to run into some issues that a maintenance foreman cannot do anyway. So, you’re going to have to call a specialist. I don’t know. I’ve been working with this district for many years, and I don’t know too many times when we didn’t have to call somebody who was a specialist,” Donatto said.
The pay raise was rejected.
Cassimere pointed out staffing is about 85% of the school district’s expenses.
Batiste said the district faces tough decisions in right-sizing its staffing. He also noted it is not unusual for the district to start its budget with a projected deficit.
Voting to adopt the budget were Donatto, Kyle Boss, Randy Wagley, Robert Gautreaux, Cassimere, Joyce Haynes and Anthony Standberry.
Voting “abstain” were Hazel Sias, Tiffany Nolan and Bianca Vedell.
Board members Milton Ambres, Renee Aymond and Timmakah Hardy were absent.
