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Boardtodecideon proposed $503Mbudget
Budget is slightly less than it waslastyear
BYANDREW CANULETTE Staff writer
The St. Tammany Parish School Board gave preliminary and unanimous approval to a$503.3 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2024-25 when it met in committee on Sept. 5. That figure, if approved at theSchool Board’s regularmonthly meeting on Sept. 12, would be nearly $2 million less
than the $505.1 million budget approved last summer for Fiscal Year 2023-24.
The projected total for spending in 2023-24, however,isjust more than $502 million. There was no outright opposition to SuperintendentFrank Jabbia’sbudget proposal during the committee meeting, but anumber of board members did,however,wonder aloud about current national inflation which has driven thecostofgoods andservicestomuch higherlevels. All told, expenditures in thisbudget
Trucecalled in battle of criminal justice agencies’cost
BY SARA PAGONES Contributing writer
After two years of court battles and public clashes, the St. Tammany Parish Council last week called for good faith negotiations between theparish andcriminal justice officials over ongoing funding disputes, as well as an end to all litigation.
Council President Arthur Laughlin referred to the unanimous resolution as a“kumbaya” moment in aparish that has been struggling with how to meet state-mandated costs forthe District Attorney’sOffice and local court systems after voters repeatedly shot down taxmeasures that would have helped pay the tab.
Parish President Mike Cooper and the DA’s office, initially under WarrenMontgomery,havebeen battling in court over how much the parish should pony up since 2002. Last month, Montgomery’ssuccessor,Collin Sims, made an unexpected appearance at the monthly council meeting, demanding that Cooper settle the parish’slawsuit and asking acourt to determine the legal minimum that the parishhad to pay for his office.
The parish prevailed in asimilar case it filed to determine theminimum it has to pay forthe 22ndJudicial District Courtand Slidell City Court.
But at the Sept. 5meeting, council members changed their tune, stressing the importance of the criminal justice system to St. Tammany,with member Cheryl Tanner saying public safety is the reason people live in the parish.
After numerous failed attempts to pass asales tax for those purposes, the parish is seeking another ballot measure in March: extending the life of an existing 2% sales tax to 2056 andbroadeningwhatitcan be used for.
If approved, 17% of the revenue, or about $10 million ayear,could be used to fund the criminal
BY ANDREW CANULETTE and DARREN COOPER
Going to seethe Lions, Spartans or Skippers play this school year will be a little different, and the same is true for sporting events at all local high schools and junior highs.
St. Tammany Parish Public Schools put new security protocolsinplace to start the 2024-25 school year,including fans having to walk through metal detectors to enter public high school stadiums and gymnasiums for games. There’sanew clear bag policy in place, as well, with restrictionsonthe size of totes, purses, storage bags and seat cushions allowed. Superintendent Frank Jabbia said the moves are an “unfortunate reality” but stressed the idea is to stay ahead of potential violence, rather than the result of unruly behavioratlocal games. He said local law Security measures ramped up forschoolsportingevents
PHOTO BY GRANT THERKILDSEN
TonyaCryer sells gorgeous yellowsquash, deep green zuchini, plumptomatoes and more to Caroline and Millie Larussa and other shoppers at theMandeville Trailhead Community Market. ä More photos. PAGE 4A
Laughlin
FILEPHOTO BY GRANTTHERKILDSEN St. TammanyParishSchools Superintendent Frank Jabbia
ST.TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Parish schoolsfind partnertoput athletic events online
BY ANDREW CANULETTE
and DARREN COOPER
St. Tammany Parish public schoolshave partneredwith the National Federation of High Schools, theoverallgoverning bodyfor highschool athletics in America, to broadcast gamesvia the internet this school year
NFHS provided cameras that were installed recently at fields and in gyms of each of theparish’s eight public high schools. Fans can
purchase subscriptions to watch as many online games as they choose, with monthly plans priced at $11.99 per month.
Schooldistrictadministrators said plans are underway to add local junior highs to the programming.
SchoolsSuperintendentFrank Jabbiasaideach cameraisprogrammed to “follow the ball,” meaning they are unstaffedand automated. Commentary will not be providedduring the webcast,
but ambient noise from thecrowd, cheerleaders and on-fieldaction can be heard, he said.
Jabbia said public requests to broadcast moreathletic events grew during the COVID-19pandemic and have not abated.
“The idea that if you put agame on TV or theradio,thatithas a negative effect on thenumberof peoplecoming to the game, is really an old way of thinking,” he said. “People who want to come are going to come. Partnering with
NFHS allows us to get our brand out there, plus you’re reaching family and friends anywhere outsidethe area whomight want to see their family member or their alma mater play.”
Formore information on the broadcasts, go online to www.nfhsnetwork.com
Theaddition of NFHS cameras on local campusesmeantchanges for Channel 13, the school district’s award-winning public access network. The channelnolongerwill
staff high school sporting events forrebroadcast. Instead,Channel13staffers will place agreater focus on other school-related programming, such as school boardmeetings, graduations and special programming that highlights district employees, programsand more.
Onceits own small department within the school district, Channel 13 now is part of the district’sCommunications Department,headed by Meredith Mendez.
Lakeshore High football fans yell passionately fortheir team during agamein2022. The St.Tammany Parish Public School System has putsecurity measures into place that wouldkeep fans and players safer during school sporting events, including placementofmetaldetectors at stadium and gymentrances, as well as aclear-bag policy and an online ticketing system intendedtoeasecrowd flow intothe games.
SECURITY
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enforcement agenciesurgedhim to deploy metaldetectorsatstadium and gym gates. Many professional and college sporting events, as well as concerts, festivals and other large gatherings, long have employed aclear bag policy
“Local police are the security at our most-attended games, football and basketball,” Jabbiasaid.
“With new concealed carry laws in the state, they’re not suretheycan protect everyone in that situation.
BUDGET
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would outweigh anticipated revenues by some $8 million.
But Terri Prevost, chieffinancial officer for the school district, said the shortcoming would be negatedby drawing money from oneor more special funds and not by dipping into the school system’sgeneralfund.
In other words, any deficit would be awash thisfiscal year.But that hasn’tstopped
School campuses are restricted placeswhere youcan’tbring guns, but how do you know if people followthat rule?
“Sowe’re working with law enforcement to be proactive, to address this before it’s aproblem,to takethe edge off for everyone so they can enjoy ourgames andthe atmosphere.”
Jabbia pointed to ashooting at a football game in theBaton Rougearea last year,when aPort Allen High School student was killed and another fan wounded, during arivalry gameagainst Brusly. An 18-year oldwas charged with the shootingand severaljuveniles
Jabbiafrom ordering what he called before the meeting a“scrubbing of the budget.”
“Wewent line by line through everything,” he said.“And if it’snot absolutely essential to theoperationofour schools, we made cuts. We wantto be good stewards of the people’s moneyand we’re thinking very hard about what we needtooperatethe system.”
Jabbiasaid that’snoeasy task,consideringthe St Tammany Parish Public SchoolSystem is by far the largest employerinthe par-
were arrested on charges ranging from disturbing thepeace to manslaughter “Therehavebeena fewincidentsacross the state thelast few years,” Jabbia said. “(Violence) isn’t100% stoppable, but at least we can take precautions to protect fans and teams.”
For now, the safetymeasures are in place only at school stadiumsand gyms.Jabbia said other campus fields, suchasbaseballand softball diamonds, eventually will have metal detectors in place when games are held there.
Themostcomplicating of new rules will likely be ones deter-
ish, with nearly 6,000 workers on thepayroll. The district, meanwhile, has seen adecline in the number of students, from more than 38,000 in 2019 beforethe COVID pandemic, down to about 36,700 at latest count.
“Wehave to takeahard look at our staffing, make sure we’re not overstaffed in the district,” Jabbia said.
“When you look at our budget in thefuture, it won’tbe jobs eliminated. But by attrition,aspeople retire,we’re going to seesome positions not be filled. They’re going
SUBMISSIONS
mining the types of bags fans can bring to games. Beginning this school year,clear totes (nolarger than 12 inches by 8inches by 12 inches) are allowed. Clear purses (max. size 41/2 x61/2 inches)are admissible, as are gallon-sized clear plasticresealable bags. Seat cushions should be no widerthan 16 inches. Seatbacks are OK, but seats with armsor pocketsare not. Acompletelist of what’sallowed, andwhat’srestricted,can be found on theschool district’swebsite, www.stpsb.org.
Fans also areurged to purchase advance tickets to games, rather
to be absorbed intoother positions.”
Salaries are easily the largest expenditure on the proposedbudget,with almost $291 million (57.81%) allocated to employeepay Groupinsurance($53.6 million, 10.65%), teacher retirement ($52.8 million, 10.49%), and insurance for retirees ($22 million,4.4%) follow as thebiggest expenses.
To Jabbia, it’sapoint of pride that St.Tammany can devotethatamount of payand resources to current staffersand retirees.
than at the gate, to easethe flow of people onto campus rather than having to exchange cash, etc. Go to www.stpsb.org/our-district/departments-and-services/athletics/eventtickets for more information. Patrons also can download the Go Fan app, which allows for single game or season ticket purchases to individual schools. Go Fan also handlesotheron-campus paid events, such as schoolconcerts, plays and more. Some individualschoolswill continue to sell paper tickets for fans who don’thave the technology to buy online or via asmartphone app.
And still, he knowsamajor part of attracting qualified educatorstothe system is to continue increasing pay, something the district has done regularly,through step increases and stipends, since the pandemic.
“Nearly 87% of ourbudget goes to pay forour employees,tobenefits andtoretirement,” he said. “So, we operate the school system on about 13% of our budget, which is remarkable.
“Butwehavetoaddress enrollment, which hasbeen on aslight decline since CO-
VID …with some families choosing virtual schools, charter schools, home schools, private schools. And right now,inflation is affecting everything from maintenance on our buildings, to fuel for buses, lunches, breakfast.Everything is moreexpensive.
“But there’s no doubt we have to find away to increaseteacher andsupport pay,” he added.
Email Andrew Canulette at acanulette@ sttammanyfarmer.net
