LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members are less than three months away from the start of the next fiscal year and a potential stream of revenue has evaporated.

“We have to be in place with a budget by the start of the fiscal year on July 1,” District 8 School Board Member Russ Wise said. “I’m not sure how we’re going to deal with it, but I don’t think it’s going to be good.”

School Board members and St. John Public Schools administrators are facing that challenge, made tougher this week, after local voters denied a School Board request to raise the local sales tax by .25 percent.

According to initial numbers released by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office, 1,501 people (52 percent) voted against the measure, while 1,372 were in favor of the new tax.

The 2,873 total votes cast represent less than 10 percent of available voter turnout.

If passed, School District leaders expected the tax to generate $2.4 million a year, with revenue earmarked for school security, alternative programs, guidance work at the elementary schools, extra transportation and salaries and benefits.

Wise said he wasn’t surprised by the results, citing local voters’ history against supporting new tax proposals and a sub-par effort by School Board members and District officials explaining the need for the tax increase.

“I’m not sure we did a good job of letting people know why we needed to do this,” Wise said. “Less than 10 percent of the voters took part. Frankly, I think there wasn’t a good job of explaining the needs. It ended up about where I expected it would.”

The measure ultimately failed by a 129-vote margin.

Former longtime Sheriff Wayne Jones used social media to encourage residents to vote against the tax. Jones said he is wary of additional taxes after a new one-cent sales and use tax took effect April 1, increasing the state sales tax to five cents.

That combined with the 5 percent local sales tax brought the total sales tax to 10 percent in St. John the Baptist Parish before last weekend’s votes.

Jones said when he went to voters with a similar request during his tenure in office, he also advocated for the proposal in front of numerous civic organizations and community gatherings.

“Is there some financial irresponsibility as far as spending in the School System as a whole? I think there is,” Jones said. “My budget was much smaller than theirs, but you have to account for every dollar you spend because you are not spending your own money, you’re spending the citizens’ money. It has to be truly warranted.”

Jones said people struggle in St. John Parish from paycheck to paycheck and, many times, have to hold off paying one bill in order to pay others.

“The residents of this community don’t have the money to not be fully informed,” Jones said. “I don’t think there was one School Board official and I never saw the school superintendent saying three months prior, ‘we’re going to have something at a local restaurant or Lions Club where we’re going to explain and answer all your questions.’”

School District Superintendent Kevin George said chances for success are slim anytime an entity is trying to pass a tax increase.

“To be so close, 129 votes away, I’m proud of our community for trying to support the school system,” he said. “When you’re trying to raise taxes in this atmosphere with what’s going on, not only in our state but the country, to be that close, I think, is positive for the school system.”

George said it is premature to say when the School Board may again ask voters for the tax increase but acknowledged the close margin would lead to a “serious discussion” on the topic.

“We prepared, of course, if it was successful and if it wasn’t,” George said. “Now, we will start to give the Board some different options on what we can do to fill the gaps.”

Prior to Saturday’s vote, School Board members warned failing to pass the tax could lead to layoffs and a rising student-to-teacher ratio in local classrooms.