APSB calls for 1/4 cent tax renewal to benefit teachers, support personnel

Every election is important, but Avoyelles Parish voters' decisions on Dec.5 will be vitally important to Avoyelles Parish School District employees.

At its July 11 meeting, the School Board adopted resolutions calling elections for the renewal of a 1/4-cent sales tax and a 10-mill property tax. Both taxes are dedicated to salaries and benefits of APSD teachers and support personnel.

The sales tax generates about $1 million a year and the property tax yields a little over $1.5 million a year.

Board President Robin Moreau said the School Board cannot use district funds to promote the tax, but individual board members and others may donate to get the message about the importance of the tax to the public.

"If we lose those taxes, it would require some drastic cuts," Moreau said. "We can't reduce the employees' salaries, so there would have to be a reduction in force. We would have to lose some people."

In another matter, the board discussed the progress of the special committee studying alternative school options.

Committee Chairwoman Aimee Dupuy said the committee will meet again July 20 to get additional input from high school principals and Elementary Education Supervisor Celeste Voinche, who oversaw the Alert School -- an alternative school that was run by district personnel several years ago.

An alternative school is primarily a place to send students who have been expelled or placed on long-term suspension for disciplinary infractions. It does not accept violent offenders. Dupuy said the Avoyelles Virtual Alternative Program (AVAP) in the former Hessmer High School elementary wing, is still an option after its contract expires this year, but the committee is looking at other options as well.

"Nothing is off the table at this point,"Dupuy said.

Moreau said he believes the school district can operate its own alternative school for less money.

AVAP is a program of the private Ombudsman Educational Services. The district pays Ombudsman $519,480 to provide services to up to 65 students at one time, including 10 positions reserved for elementary students.

Students can "earn" an early return to school by completing certain benchmarks.This allowed AVAP to serve 110 students before schools were closed due to COVID-19.

Board members have claimed AVAP is too expensive, that it is double the cost spent on other students.

The district spends about $8,000 per pupil per year. While the annual amount paid Ombudsman is approximately $8,000 per pupil for 65 students -- less if each individual student served is counted for their time in the center -- the fact is that it is an extra program. In effect, the School Board pays $8,000 for the student's "regular" education and another $8,000 if the student is sent to AVAP.

Dupuy said the committee will continue to meet and discuss options and what each committee member would like to see in an alternative school. Topics addressed by the committee have included offering vocational education opportunities, determining the staffing needs to run the school and the need to offer counseling and mental health services to students assigned to the alternative school.

In other business, the board instructed the demolition of the FFA Camp at Old River proceed. A new camp will be constructed using funds specifically set aside for the parish's FFA Clubs many years ago.

Plans for the new camp will be presented to the Building and Lands Committee on July 20.