School board adopts budget

It’s been a long, hard road to get there, but the Acadia Parish School Board can finally report balanced budgets via its final revisions in the 2014-15 fiscal year budget and its proposed 2015-16 fiscal year budget.
“I said to you that I thought we would finish in the black (for our 2014-15 fiscal year) and we did,” said Dr. Doug Chance, administrator of ancillary service for Acadia Parish’s school district. “Tonight, you have a positive budget balance for this past year.”
The budget was approved by unanimous vote. The vote was held via roll call with all eight board members in attendance and vocalizing a “yes” vote.
The board also began the process of calling a special election on Saturday, March 5, 2016, to renew two ad valorem taxes and begin levying a new ad valorem tax. The two special election renewals allow the board to make sure there is no gap with the ad valorem taxes in the Fifth Ward School District No. 7 and the Iota-Egan Oilfield Consolidated School District No. 8. Meanwhile, the new tax will go on the books only if and when it is approved.
These items were each approved, by unanimous roll call vote, by the board.
The opening items featured the recognition of the parish’s retirees and Scott Richard of the Louisiana School Board Association. The retirees were fêted with a social before the meeting. Ellan Kay Baggett, executive director of personnel/operations for the school district, applauded the retirees and thank them for all they have done for the youth of Acadia Parish.
Richard applauded Acadia Parish for having two school board members among the board’s officers and board of directors. APSB members James Higginbotham is president-elect of LSBA and Doug LaCombe was elected to serve on the board also.
Richard spent most of his report, however, focusing on the recently ended legislative session.
“We were able … to advocate for additional funding successfully,” he said of the increase in the Minimum Foundation Program funding formula this year. Acadia will see about a $500,000 increase as part of a total increase of $44.2 million statewide.
Also in the board’s opening items Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7 candidate Mike Kreamer addressed the board. He spoke of the many disappointments BESE has presented in the past few years and how he came to the decision to run.
Other items approved by the board by unanimous vote included the following:
• The acceptance of the low bid of Joe Picard, Inc. of $310,000 for the Crowley High School weight room. Six bids were presented to the Acadia Parish School Board that ranged as high as $365,000.
• A request from Iota High School’s varsity cheerleaders to attend and perform in Orlando, Florida, at Walt Disney World from Jan. 16, 2016, through Jan. 22, 2016.
The board will hold its July committee meetings – Personnel, Insurance and Curriculum and Budget and Finance – Wednesday, July 22. The board will hold its full meeting Monday, Aug. 3.