LEONARD GRAY

LULING – A one-cent sales tax attempted by the St. Charles Parish government failed earlier this year. Dr. Rodney Lafon, superintendent of public schools, intends not to repeat history this fall. “I think the public will understand,” Lafon said. “It’s never fun to go to the people for a tax increase, but we’ve been extremely accountable, and we’ve not raised taxes in 10 years.” The St. Charles Parish School Board, faced with the threat of a deficit for the coming year and confronted by a drop in sales tax revenues, called for a one-cent sales tax election, along with a $28 million bond issue, for Oct. 20. The sales tax, if approved by voters, is estimated to raise $8 million annually and boost the local sales tax to nine cents on the dollar. The bond sale, if approved by voters, will finance capital projects in the district in Norco, St. Rose and Hahnville, and also the new Raymond K. Smith Middle School near Interstate 310 in Luling. All these projects, Lafon pointed out, are to maintain the level of quality in education for which the school district is lauded across the state. “It’s all necessary to keep what we have,” the superintendent said. Lafon plans to launch a series of public meetings in early August to explain the tax issue. “You want people to be knowledgeable and understanding,” he added, while acknowledging he faces an uphill battle to woo the voters to the proposals. Rising costs in utilities and health insurance led to the school district’s administration making $1.4 million in cuts for the 2001-2002 school year. During the past three years, $6.8 million in cuts have been made, bringing them to a total of $8.2 million in the past four years. What’s more, he continued, teachers have not received a local pay raise in five years, and other school districts are raising their own pay scales. Lafon said the district must remain competitive in order to keep the quality teachers they have. “The bottom line is, the reason people move to St. Charles Parish is because of our school system,” Lafon said. “We’re not asking for an exorbitant amount. It’s a survival tax.” A one-cent sales tax, intended to be divided between the wastewater treatment department and the construction of hurricane protection levees, failed April 7 by a vote of 2,930 to 2,619 votes, or 52.8 to 47.2 percent.