$400+Million Package Focus of LPSS Board Retreat Today

The Lafayette Parish School Board will review the Community Education Committee's recommendations to fund the more than $380-million in repairs needed for schools in the district. The repairs and improvements in the current outline include many from the previous administration's Master Plan and those identified by principals at the educational facilities.The committee also added about $30-million to the package for academic programs and teacher pay raises, bringing the total to more than $400-million.

The question facing the board is how to fund the projects at nearly all of the schools in Lafayette Parish. The committee, made up of citizens, is proposing a plan to use a combination of sales and property taxes to fund the projects.

Voters previously rejected the idea of creating a new tax to fund the project, and some board members are not sold on the idea of sending that option to public referendum on the May 3rd ballot.

The board will hear the recommendations today and is expected to vote

Also on today's agenda is the discussion of an $8.8-million surplus the board hopes to use for technology improvements for mandated on-line testing that will be in effect for next school year.

Today's board retreat is open to the public.