The St. Landry Parish School Board announced it will consider a tax election in March that would raise money for salary increases and facility improvements.
Superintendent Patrick Jenkins, in an intervew outside the meeting on Monday in Opelousas, said he plans a 10-year, 11.4-mill tax for teacher salaries and a 12.6-mill, 20-year tax for facility improvements.
The district’s current property tax is 20.52 mills, he said.
If passed, the taxes would raise the millage to 44.52 mills.
A March vote would coincide with municipal elections. Jenkins said the election would cost the school system about $10,000, but if the district held the election alone the bill would be about $100,000.
With some exceptions, such as the high schools and recently renovated schools, Jenkins said the facilities are in “bad shape.”
The capital improvement bond would fund a $99 million bond issue, he said.
In the meeting, Jenkins said if the salary tax passes certified full-time employees would get a $3,000 a year raise while full-time support employees would receive a $2,000 a year raise.
Salaries for teachers are higher in surrounding parishes and that results in losing teachers to those parishes, he said.
The tax, if passed, would be effective in 2018, he said.
School Board members were unanimous in the plan to place a tax proposition resolution on the Nov. 2 meeting agenda.
Board member Anthony Standberry said he would like certified and support employees to receive an equal raise.
“I would like to see our people on even playing field with this tax because everyone is important in this system,” he said.
Standberry made his pitch with a view to the employees as voters.
Board member Donnie Perron, said, “I think our certified people deserve a raise because that is where we are lowest compared to other parishes and that is the primary emphasis is teachers. It doesn’t matter how many support people we have or how great they are, if we don’t have teachers our system is going to continue to score low. I think it would be an insult if we don’t give the teachers a little bit more than the support people.”
Perron added that employees with certifications attended college and support employee salaries are in line with those in neighboring parishes.
A teacher salary comparison presented at a School Board retreat in January showed beginning salaries in the area as: $38,473, Acadia Parish; $38,200, Evangeline Parish; $42,636, Iberia Parish; $41,427, Lafayette Parish; $39,510, Rapides Parish; $38,000, St. Landry Parish; $41,305, St. Martin Parish; and $39,458, Vermilion Parish.
Support employee salaries in St. Landry Parish include: $16,896, para-professional; $19,564, bus driver; $20,529, custodian; $28,400, computer technician; and $24,300, maintenance.
Among the neighboring parishes of Acadia, St. Martin and Evangeline, St. Martin had the highest salaries for support employees: $19,071, para-professional; $19,962, bus driver; $21,263, custodian; $30,792, computer technician; and $24,394, maintenance.
The lowest support worker salaries were in Acadia and Evangeline parishes.
In Acadia Parish, support worker salaries included: $14,642, bus driver; $15,991, custodian; $24,819, computer technician.
Evangeline Parish maintenance workers were the lowest paid in that category at $23,326.
An exact number of employees for the St. Landry Parish school system was unavailable. Personnel director Matthew Scruggins, on Tuesday, said there are 1,850 to 1,900 total employees, and from 1,200 to 1,300 are certified.
Marco Gonzalez of Volkert presented an initial assessment of St. Landry Parish public schools that noted the six high schools are in “pretty good shape.”
But 17 schools have structural issues including designs that do not include enclosed halls, which he said presents security issues.
“The good thing is you have a lot options,” he said about the facilities.
In about month, Volkert, an engineering company, is to complete its assessment, he said.
A demographic study of the school district is to be completed by the first of October.
