Photo by FREDDIE HERPIN, Photographer
BOBBY ARDOIN
Contributing Writer
A St. Landry Parish NAACP representative told Parish Council members Wednesday night that if approved March 26 by voters, a $150 million elementary school capital outlay plan will help create parish wide construction jobs and widespread socio-economic relief.
Donald Broussard, who identified himself as the parish president of the organization, also invited council members to a Feb. 23 event at Arpeggio’s in downtown Opelousas that Broussard said is being hosted starting at 8 a.m. with a group of St. Landry Parish religious leaders in order to gain more support for the property tax proposition.
Broussard told the council that he is a proponent for passing the 10-year tax referendum that asks voters for an additional 12 mills to build four kindergarten through-fourth grade schools in Opelousas, Eunice Lawtell and the southern portion of St. Landry.
One of the election-day centerpieces needed for passing the facilities master plan that was passed in January by school board members Broussard said is to help achieve the approval of parish church members.
“I understand that we face opposition, but we are hoping to get the pastors of our churches and members of the faith-based communities on board with approving the plan,” said Broussard.
Broussard reminded the council members that the new school construction initiative is one of three propositions on the ballot.
One of the propositions costing 9.9-mills, Broussard said, provides in approved, annual teacher pay raises of $3,000, while other employees from the school district are scheduled to receive $2,000 each.
A separate proposition of 1-mill will if passed will create revenues for upgrading athletic facilities, added Broussard.
Broussard also predicted that the construction phase for the new schools would bring thousands of construction jobs into St. Landry in addition to providing increased revenues attached to the purchase of building materials for the four projects.
The completion of the new schools Broussard noted would also generate what he described as a “socio-economic” change in the parish.
The school district according to Broussard is also holding a series of town hall meetings that have already begun in several communities across St. Landry.
A complete list of those meetings can be found in a town hall schedule of meetings on the StLandryNow.com website.
