4 tax renewals for EBR Schools to appear on March 25 election ballot

Residents in East Baton Rouge Parish will have the chance to vote on the future of the largest public school district in the Baton Rouge area.
Published: Mar. 16, 2023 at 5:41 AM CDT|Updated: Mar. 24, 2023 at 10:14 PM CDT

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Residents in East Baton Rouge Parish will have the chance to vote on the future of the largest public school district in the Baton Rouge area.

Four tax renewals designed for EBR Schools will appear on the ballot when voters head to the polls on Saturday, March 25.

Each renewal addresses a different topic like teacher pay or student-to-teacher ratio.

School leaders report they will also help the system continue to:

  • Expand early childhood education
  • Invest in teacher training and literacy coaching
  • Offer paid internships for high school seniors
  • Create new schools to include specialized fields unique to community needs
  • Increase “on-track” to graduate rates for 9th graders
  • Expand opportunities to gain college credit and save money on college costs later
  • Expand Multi-Tiered Systems to support the mental health and social-emotional needs of students and staff

Read the four proposals in their entirety below:

School Board President Dadrius Lanus explained what this could mean for the district and the city’s future.

“We want to make sure we put your tax dollars in a place that benefits our community as a whole,” Lanus said.

If approved, Lanus said teachers, faculty, and support staff could receive an 8-percent pay raise.

“The more money we can put inside our school system, the more support we can give our students, the more support we can give our families in turn making us a better city. Because we go and attract more people to come here, we can retain the students that we currently have, we can increase what we see happening inside of our 4-year and 2-year institutions,” Lanus said.

Lanus believes this could set a new standard for the state.

“We want to create a sustainable system so we can continue to raise the pay as time goes on because as we raise pay, other neighboring districts are going to do the same,” Lanus said. “Our East Baton Rouge Parish School System is the foundation of the rest of our city, and we have to get it right and we’re trying to do right, and that’s why this tax is so vitally important.”

Polls open from 7 a.m., Saturday, March 25 until 8 p.m.

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