By MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 20, 1999

RESERVE – Voters will go back to the polls May 1 to decide whether to approve a new millage plan for the St. John the Baptist Parish SchoolSystem.

Absentee voting is being held until Saturday at the Register of Voters offices on each side of the river. Voters may cast absentee ballots todaythrough Friday on the east bank from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on the west bankfrom 8:30 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.The School Board passed a resolution calling for the election at its meeting Feb. 4. The tax will be broken down into three sections with atotal of 25 mills being levied. If approved it would generate approximately$3,550,000 for the school system.

Proposition 1 calls for a 10-year, 17.4 mills property tax for givenadditional support to public, primary, elementary and secondary schools.

The mills would provide funds for raises in teachers’ salaries of at least $3,300 per year and a 6 percent increase in the salaries of support staff.

At the board’s Jan. 21 meeting when the millage was introduced, boardmembers and East St. John High School principal Debra Schum said the taxwas needed in order to make the school system more competitive when it comes to hiring teachers.

Proposition 2 calls for a 10-year, 3.67 mills property tax for operationand maintenance of the system’s alternative school. The third propositioncalls for a 10-year, 3.93 mills property tax to upgrade and maintain thedistrict’s technology program.

A similar millage was brought before the public last July but failed, with 53 percent of those voting turning it down.

Return To News Stories