SLPSB Faces Proposed Deficit
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
St. Landry Parish school board members aren’t happy about facing a projected $7 million operating budget deficit to start the 2025-26 fiscal year, but that’s the initial financial reality facing the District at this point, says Finance Director Shaun Grantham.
“It’s ugly, but it is what it is,” Grantham told a Board committee Thursday night as she answered questions before a Sept. 4 meeting where the budget is expected to be discussed and perhaps approved following a public hearing.
The Thursday committee meeting held without board members Robert Gautreaux, Tiffany Nolan, Timmakah Hardy and Milton Ambres, was the second financial conference held within the last 10 days, as Grantham outlined anticipated revenues and expenditures.
Last week Grantham told the Committee that expected local revenues which include sales and property taxes will probably not increase substantially, while she thinks the District could lose significant state funding due to a higher than normal annual enrollment loss.
On Thursday night Grantham didn’t change her mind about her original budget projections.
Grantham told the Committee on Thursday, that she automatically concedes the District will lose about 300 students each year. That number hypothetically costs the parish about $3 million annually.
However the student loss for 2025-26, could more than double, said Grantham, due to the probability that Helix Academy will enroll about 400 this year.
Real Classroom Numbers
Superintendent Milton Batiste III said that after a week of classes, the District experienced an increase in student enrollment compared to the number of students who attended classes at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
There were 11,341 students in District classes this past week, Batiste told the Committee. The District ended 2024-25 with 10,411 students, Batiste said.
The Helix attendance this week was 456, according to Batiste.
Batiste added that the current number of parish high school students has increased due to what he said are academic programs that are attractive.
What Committee Members Said
Committee members suggested to Batiste and Grantham that potential budget cuts could be made in transportation, administrative staffing and closing more campuses.
Batiste agreed with committee member Kyle Boss that the District could possibly lease new buses this year rather than purchase five buses at a cost of about $100,000 per unit.
Committee member Hazel Sias said the Board could possibly institute a personnel hiring freeze for all school positions except teachers.
Boss said there is still a need to close more campuses in order to save on personnel and operational expenses.
Batiste reminded the Committee that board members earlier this year voted to close Opelousas Middle School and Washington Elementary, a decision that has eliminated about 50 staffing positions.
Sentiments By Batiste
After the meeting Batiste said the District will have to “tighten up” expenditures this year.
“I’m certainly concerned,” Batiste said.
However Batiste said the District started 2024-25 with the expectation of a $3 million deficit. Grantham said on Thursday that she expects the District to finish the last budgetary year with a $1.8 million surplus, although all revenues and expenditures have not been received.
