State Sen. Bodi White, a Republican from Central who was instrumental in the drive to establish a community school district in his hometown, is trying to help a group based in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish do the same. White says preliminary numbers show the district, which would lie south of Interstate 12, north of Interstate 10 and east of the 10/12 split, could operate without new taxes.
“This district will be able to support itself,” he says.
He says the district pays about $18 million to $20 million in property taxes to support schools, along with perhaps $19 million or so in sales taxes. He expects about 25% to 35% of the students would be minorities.
The breakaway districts in Central, Baker and Zachary were allowed to leave behind their share of the cost of paying for medical benefits for retired employees, which East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Craig Freeman says was patently unfair to the system. White suggests such issues could be subject to negotiation.
“The private schools aren’t necessarily community schools,” says Norman Browning, president of Local Schools for Local Children, which approached White with the idea for the district. “We need to bring the community back [to public schools].”
School districts are set in the state constitution, and creating a new one requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature and approval by voters statewide, parishwide and in the district itself. If all goes according to plan, the district’s 10 schools could open under new management in the fall.
