Haraln Kirgan
Without comment, the St. Landry Parish School Board voted unanimously to place two tax propositions on the March 24 ballot at its meeting Thursday at the Opelousas Civic Center.
There will be an 11.4-mill, 10-year property tax proposal to raise $7 million annually to fund pay raises.
The other proposal is a 20-year, 12.4-mill tax to fund a $99 million bond issue for capital improvements.
Details on the pay plan have not been arrived at yet, but Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said after Thursday’s meeting he is recommending a $3,000 raise for certified employees and $2,000 for non-certified employees.
Board member Candace Gerace was absent.
The pay raise proposition does not specify the amount of the raise, which is up to the School Board.
The School Board also has not arrived at details for the capital improvement tax.
“The Board and I are hammering it out right now,” Jenkins said of the facility plan. “You know those are some hard decisions with regard to facilities. We want to be able to try to touch every community with the new facilities and/or upgrades to facilities that we have.”
Jenkins said, “$99 million only goes so far” in a district with 37 facilities many of which are decades old.
The district’s current property tax is 20.52 mills, he said.
If passed, the taxes would raise the millage to 44.52 mills.
The plans for both propositions should be completed in December, he said.
Both propositions will have to pass, he said.
“I think we can show the voters what they are going to get out of the funding sources that we are asking them to generate for us. I think the people are going to be receptive to it,” he said.
Jenkins said he has been going to schools to talk with employees about the proposals.
“We are going to be out into communities. We plan on doing town hall events” he said.
The School Board hired Volkert Inc. to conduct a facilities assessment and Lafayette demographer Mike Hefner to produce a demographic study.
Volkner officials have said the school system’s high schools are in good shape except for Port Barre High School.
With exception of Leonville and Plaisance elementary schools, Volkert officials declared the parish’s elementary schools are in need of work.
Hefner’s demographic reports project enrollment to decrease by 900 from 2017 to 2023 when there will be 12,575 students.
In addition, Hefner aid the parish population is decreasing along with its income.
Decreases in enrollment are expected for schools on the east side of the parish, the Eunice area schools with the exception of Highland, and Krotz Springs elementary schools. OPELOUSAS — Without comment, the St. Landry Parish School Board voted unanimously to place two tax propositions on the March 24 ballot at its meeting Thursday at the Opelousas Civic Center.
There will be a 11.4-mill, 10-year property tax is to raise $7 million annual to fund pay raises.
The other proposal is a 20-year, 12.4-mill tax to fund a $99 million bond issue for capital improvements.
Details on the pay plan have not been arrived at yet, but Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said after Thursday’s meeting he is recommended a $3,000 raise for certified employees and $2,000 for non-certified employees.
The pay raise proposition does not specify the amount of the raise, which is up to the School Board.
The School Board also has not arrived at details for the capital improvement tax.
“The Board and I are hammering it out right now,” Jenkins said of the facility plan. “You know those are some hard decisions with regard to facilities. We want to be able to try to touch every community with the new facilities and/or upgrades to facilities that we have.”
Jenkins said, “$99 million only goes so far” in a district with 37 facilities many of which are decades old.
The district’s current property tax is 20.52 mills, he said.
If passed, the taxes would raise the millage to 44.52 mills.
The plans for both propositions should be completed in December, he said.
Both propositions will have to pass, he said.
“It think we can show the voters what they are going to get out of the funding sources that we are asking them to generate for us. I think the people are going to be receptive to it,” he said.
Jenkins said he is has been going to schools to talk with employees about the proposals.
“We are going to be out into communities. We plan on doing town hall events” he said.
The School Board hired Volkert Inc. to conduct a facilities assessment and Lafayette demographer Mike Hefner to produce a demographic study.
Volkner officials have said the school system’s high schools are in good shape except for Port Barre High School.
With exception of Leonville and Plaisance elementary schools, the parish’s elementary schools are in need of work.
Hefner’s demographic reports so far project enrollment to decrease by 900 from 2017 to 2023 when it will be 12,575 students.
In addition, Hefner aid the parish population is decreasing along with its income.
Decreases in enrollment are expected for schools on the east side of the parish, the Eunice area schools with the exception of Highland and Krotz Springs elementary schools.