Orleans Board Approves Property Tax Increase

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Orleans Parish School Board has voted to raise its property tax rate for 2013.

Interim Superintendent Stan Smith told board members Tuesday the increase would bring in an extra $5.1 million.

The Times-Picayune reports that's slightly more than the district estimated at its last board meeting because the latest figure is based on expected property values for next year rather than 2012 values.

The tax increase will provide more funding not only for the schools that the board still oversees, but also those under the Recovery School District, the state agency that took over most campuses following Hurricane Katrina. While the Recovery District still governs most of the city's public schools, the local school board continues to collect taxes and sell bonds for the entire city school system.