With all of the precincts reporting for the Ruston School District No. 1, it appears the proposal to consolidate the district’s four elementary schools into two, and to sell $75 million of bonds to pay for new construction, was defeated by a margin of better than two to one, 70% no to 30% yes. Turnout was about 14%.
A proposal for new construction in Simsboro School District No. 3 passed by a 53/47 margin. That proposal will add an additional 5.75 mils to existing property tax bills.
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams was this week added as a defendant in the federal lawsuit alleging negligence in the death of a detention center inmate.
See here the amended complaint.
Demerious Jones died in September, 2021 while in custody of the Lincoln Parish Detention Center, partly as a result of diabetic keto acidosis. The suit alleges that detention center staff were deliberately indifferent to Jones’ medical condition, and contributed to his death.
The original lawsuit named two nurses, several deputies, and the detention center commission.
However, after receiving a copy of the cooperative endeavor agreement between the commission and the sheriff, plaintiff attorneys added Williams to the suit.
According to the agreement, “The SHERIFF agrees to provide for the basic routine health care needs of the Detention Center inmates, with all health care personnel responsible for dispensing medical services to inmates meeting all necessary certification and licensing requirements required by law.”
A three-person committee was last night tasked with negotiating a permanent agreement with the City of Ruston to house animals that are picked up in the parish. The action took place in the Public Works Committee meeting and was ratified by the full jury.
A temporary agreement now in place expires on May 30 of this year.
Appointed to the committee were Interim Parish Administrator Courtney Hall, and Jurors Theresa Wyatt and Glenn Scriber.
The committee authorized the parish road crew to assist, subject to availability, with street repair and ditch clean out for the City of Grambling and the Town of Dubach.
See here the requests.
The Solid Waste & Recycling Committee heard from Jon Fourrier, landfill engineering expert regarding the future of the parish’s landfill.
Currently, the parish operates a construction and demolition debris landfill only, with household municipal waste taken to the Union Parish landfill. The C&D landfill is almost full, so additional area will have to be developed.
The new area is north of the now-closed municipal waste area and to the west of the existing C&D area. It will cover about six acres.
The committee approved, and the full jury ratified proceeding with permitting applications for the new site.
Area groups that are opposed to the plan by the Lincoln Parish School District to close two schools and borrow $75 million for new construction met yesterday evening at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Ruston. About 50 people, including several local elected officials met to discuss voter outreach strategy for the upcoming April 29 election.
Among those attending were school board members David Ferguson, George Mack, Jr, and Danielle Williams. Police juror Sharyon Mayfield and Ruston City Council member Angela Mayfield.
Coalition Against School Closures Co-Chair Liz White recapped the events of the past two months, including the past three school board meetings where the issue was discussed.
Said White, “The way I see it, it’s asking us to pay to close our schools.”
She noted how the group got its start, after the February 7 school board vote to move forward on the plan.
Several attendees noted that taxes have become a burden, especially for the elderly. It was noted that even if you rent and own no property, you still pay property taxes, as the owner has to pass that cost along.
Mail-in ballots for the election have already been sent out, and early voting will be April 15-22, excluding Sunday, April 16. Early voting in person will be at the Lincoln Parish Registrar of Voters, Lincoln Parish Court House ground floor, 100 West Texas.
Several local pastors were in the audience, and were recognized.
The next meeting of the coalition will be Monday, April 17, 6:00, Lincoln Parish Library, 910 North Trenton.
The Lincoln Parish Police Jury and two of its committee’s will meet tomorrow (Tuesday, April 11) at the Lincoln Parish Court House, 100 West Texas Avenue, third floor.
Here are the agendas and meeting times:
Public Works Committee: 5:30 PM – agenda.
Solid Waste & Recycling Committee: 6:15 PM – agenda.
Police Jury: 7:00 PM – agenda.
The Lincoln Parish School Board did manage to conduct some business at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Two new principals were recognized, Chris Jones for Choudrant High School and Lacey Holcomb for Simsboro School.
Jones had most recently been Assistant Principal at Choudrant for the past eight years. Holcomb has been the Simsboro Interim Principal for the past year.
The board approved payment of the May salary supplement checks for school personnel, often called the “14 check.” Authorized was $6,112 for personnel with teaching certificates and $3,056 for those not certified. It was noted that sales taxes in the district had increased over the past year.
Superintendent Ricky Durrett said, “These are both increases of about $848 for certified people from last year, and $425 for support staff.”
Asked how much an increase that was from last year, Business Manager Juanita Duke said it was about 17% increase over the payment for last year.
Here’s the memo.
According to the monthly sales tax report, for the first nine months of the tax year, the district has collected just over $1 million more than the same period last year, or about a 5.3% increase.
Personnel Director Doris Lewis presented the monthly personnel report.
Emotions are still high on the Lincoln Parish School Board – as high as we ever seen in our 14 years of coverage – regarding a plan to close two schools and renovate several others to accommodate the relocated students, and a $75 million tax levy to pay for it all.
At last night’s meeting, even the most routine of matters – ratification of the minutes of a previous meeting – was a split vote.
District 2’s David Ferguson objected to the minutes as printed, saying “I’ve been in theses meetings, and what I say has not been printed. I want make a record that what I say goes on record in these minutes. People call me and ask me that nothing you say is being printed to see. Everything printed is hunky-dory like everything is apple pie, and its not. I want it to be known of my opposition, and I want it printed.”
Ferguson and District 1’s Danielle Williams also objected to how school policies were formulated, saying those should originate with the board, rather than administrators. Disciplinary reports need to be reported back to the board, the two said.
Coalition Against School Closures Co-Chair Terrence Flucas addressed the board and expressed the group’s opposition.
Said Flucas, “We are here today for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is hoping that this board will reconsider their decision to consolidate four elementary schools into two enhanced schools on the north side of Interstate 20. We believe that closing two schools on the south side of I-20 will be a detriment to our community.” He added, “In the best interests of this school system, we believe this is a decision that should have been made with input from the community.”
Co-chair Liz White read from a resolution presented to the board members.
Williams asked had a traffic study been done, to which District Superintendent Ricky Durrett said that they had reviewed bus and auto traffic, but no comprehensive study.
Jackie Sumler said that children are on the bus at 6:00 AM in the morning, and wondered if they were ready to learn when they arrived at school.
Jerry Baldwin said, “It won’t do any harm to reconsider” the vote to hold the tax election
Several more speakers were heard from before a the motion was made to amend the agenda.
Assistant District Attorney Lewis, the boards legal advisor, cautioned that such a motion to be successful had to be unanimous, and that it was problematic to change the agenda this late in a meeting.
As we reported last night, the vote failed, and as of now, the tax election is still scheduled for Saturday, April 29.
A move at tonight’s meeting of the Lincoln Parish School Board to postpone a tax election set for April 29 was defeated because the vote to amend the agenda and allow a vote to postpone had to be unanimous. That said, a majority of the board actually did vote to amend, eight yes, and four no.
Voting to amend: Henderson, Mack, Anders, Doss, Williams, Ferguson, Canterbury, and Phillips.
Voting no: Smith, Hancock, Abrahm, Micham.
We will have further reporting tomorrow.
A $600 thousand agreement was approved at last night’s meeting of Ruston’s Board of Aldermen that will start surveying and engineering for a proposed service road along I-20 westbound from the Tarbutton exit to the Grambling exit. That service road would be part of infrastructure improvement necessary for a Buc-cee’s Travel Center to locate at Tarbutton.
Public Works Utilities Manager Andrew Halbrook said, “This resolution for a professional services agreement is with Stantec. They will begin the survey, right-of -way design, and first phase of infrastructure design to support the development.”
Mayor Ronny Walker noted that traffic count studies were already underway.
According to reports, the frontage road and other infrastructure will cost up to $24 million. Funding for the projects apparently hasn’t been secured.
The council also adopted an ordinance creating the Economic Development District No. 2, also for the Buc-cee’s project.
Sales and use taxes from the district would be used to finance economic development projects within the district.
Shreveport attorney Mike Brusada, who specializes in public finance, said, “You will be the board of the district, as the Board of Aldermen. Those taxes will be used to help fund and finance the Buc-cee’s.”
At the meeting’s beginning the council certified the recent local option election held last month, and introduced a city ordinance amendment setting licensing fees for businesses that sell alcohol.
The Lincoln Parish School Board will meet tonight (Tuesday, April 4), 6:00 PM, Central Office, 410 South Farmerville St.
Here’s the agenda.
Lincoln Parish News Online 