Lobbyist says breakaway district supporters may be back next year

Getting 70 votes in the House in a year in which the Legislature already has passed controversial education measures was always going to be difficult for supporters of a breakaway school district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish, says Jesse McCormick of Capitol Partners, who was the lead lobbyist for the bill that died today. McCormick says he wouldn’t be surprised if supporters try again next year. He adds that he hasn’t been privy to conversations about trying to establish a municipality in the southeast portion of the parish, but wouldn’t be shocked to see residents move in that direction. “The opposition [to the breakaway district] used the municipality argument over and over again,” he says. “I tried to tell people: Don’t push these people to incorporation, because they’ll try.” East Baton Rouge Parish School Board President Barbara Freiberg says the idea of creating more independent school districts in the parish may have merit, but says the concept is best examined by looking at the parish as a whole, not by breaking off one piece at a time. The school board is considering options, such as creating semi-autonomous zones within the district and giving individual schools more budgeting authority, that might appeal to those who support smaller districts. “We’ve had some excellent conversations about some real changes that can be made in this district,” Freiberg says. “I hope that we would give our new superintendent [Bernard Taylor] a chance to bring some of those changes.” —David Jacobs