LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish voters are joining with their statewide counterparts in elections for Louisiana Treasurer and three Constitutional Amendments on Saturday.

St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools is also asking local voters to renew an existing 8-mill property tax. School leaders said one mill is used to fund retirees insurance.

Three mills are used to fund academic improvements, School District officials specifically pointing to universal pre-kindergarten and redirection programs. Funding for these programs comes completely from this portion of the tax, District officials said.

The final four mills fund employee salaries. School officials said the renewal allows the district to keep St. John Parish teacher pay in the top 10 in the state and competitive with neighboring school districts.

The St. John Business Association and River Region Chamber of Commerce recently came out in support of the millage renewal.

The Chamber released a statement saying it supports initiatives from local governments that help responsibly ensure business sustainability and a high quality of life for its residents by using efficient operations to make proactive progress.

Local and statewide residents can view sample ballots and find polling locations on the main page of the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website at sos.la.gov.

Voting times are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday accross Louisiana. For more information, call 225-922-2880 or  985-652-9797.