The Lafayette Parish School Board is proving conservative in deciding how to cover its budget shortfall.

The Board won’t be dipping into its reserve funds to fully cover a $20.6 million shortfall in the district’s budget, and it voted to budget without considering a projected $1.5 million increase in sales tax revenues.

The board is also refusing to use funds from the 2002 sales tax to pay for anything, including 75 teaching positions — nine of those in special education — 13 assistant principal spots, and an annual bonus educators receive each October.

General fund dollars will pay for both certified and non-certified teacher raises, the Board decided — but that’s as far as the meeting went. The board voted to adjourn less than halfway into its agenda just after 9:30 Thursday night, as most of the remaining items involved using the reserve fund and sales tax dollars the board repeatedly voted against.

The Board has two more budget-specific meetings before it must present its plan for public inspection June 16.

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