At the Special Board Meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd, Lafayette Parish School Board Members unanimously decided to cancel the April 9th vote on the two proposed tax initiatives for the school system. This decision was the result of Board Members listening closely to and carefully considering the concerns that members of the community have voiced over the proposal. The Board acknowledges that low oil prices have caused instability in the local economy and a decline in sales tax revenues, and they further acknowledge that this problem is compounded by the Governor’s plans to meet the state’s considerable budget shortfall by raising additional revenue or cutting services.
Although the school system has needs that can only be met by raising revenue, in light of the current situation, the Board felt that it was unfair to burden the community with the request for additional funds until the economy has had a chance to recover.
At some point in the future the Board will bring these proposals, or ones very much like them, back to the voters of Lafayette Parish. In the meantime, the Board and school system staff will continue its efforts to collaborate with this community in order to continue shaping a shared vision for the school district.