Decisive Vote on SE BR Schools Coming in House

New District Ok’d By Senate, But Critical Floor Vote Remains in House

by Woody Jenkins, Editor

BATON ROUGE — Legislation to create the new Southeast Community School District narrowly passed the Louisiana Senate last week 27-11, just one vote more than the two-thirds’ majority necessary for a constitutional amendment.  Then Tuesday the legislation passed out of the House Education Committee by a vote of 10-6.
Now the final vote is looming in the Louisiana House, and the outcome is uncertain.  Every vote will count.  Sen. Bodi White’s legislation includes SB73, a constitutional amendment, which is necessary to create the district, and SB199, the implementing statute.
The district would be bounded on the north by I-12 and the west by I-10.  Proponents believe it would attract about 6,800 students and have a budget of $76 million.  They say it has the potential to become one of the best school districts in the state. Zachary and Central broke away from East Baton Rouge and are now ranked No. 1 and No. 5.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has led the opposition to the proposed school and used taxpayer funds to hire two private lobbying firms to lobby the legislature against the new district.
Opponents have said the new district would hurt the East Baton Rouge school system financially.  Sen. White responded by saying East Baton Rouge is the wealthiest parish in the state and would retain all major industry, Mall of Louisiana, Cortana Mall, and almost all Wal-Marts.  He also cited the analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Office that EBR would get more per child after the breakaway.
Opponents of the new district have also charged support of the plan is motivated by a desire to “resegregate” East Baton Rouge.  However, the proposed new district is projected to be slightly black in its student enrollment or about 50-50.
Sen. White said he is bringing the legislation because of an overwhelming demand from the people of Southeast Baton Rouge for their own school system.  He said the EBR system has failed and people are tired of waiting for it to change.
Norman Browning, chairman of Local Schools for Local Children, has held numerous public meetings in the district supporting the plan, some drawing as many as 1,000 people.
In addition to the EBR school board, opposition has come from a group called One Community, One School District.  It says the new school district will not offer magnet schools.  Browning said that magnet schools are usually offered only in failing school districts.  He noted that all of the schools in Zachary and Central are rated A by the state.