Superintendent of Winn Parish Schools, Al Simmons, served as both Rotarian of the Day and speaker for the April 10 meeting of Winnfield’s Rotary Club.

Mr. Simmons is a native of Winnfield and served as a teacher and coach in Winn Parish schools for many years before taking on the challenge of administering the schools of the parish. He has confronted serious challenges since assuming the helm of our public school system and informed the group about some of these.

At the top of the concerns in this season is the increased cost of maintenance of our school properties accompanied by a steady decrease in revenues for this purpose. School funding includes several major components, such as payment of staff and funding of staff benefits of insurance and retirement, upkeep of various school buildings and the surrounding fields and gymnasiums, supplies such as textbooks, computers and other equipment, cafeteria equipment and supplies; the list could go on and on. Funds come from a variety of sources, but most must be dedicated to specific purposes.

The funds provided by the state of Louisiana for our school district are calculated on the number of students and the state provides a minimum per student. Winn’s student census has been steadily declining over the course of many years. It was declining before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, increased some in the following year, and has been continually declining each year since. Thus, funding from the state has been steadily declining as well, while the minimum funding per student has not been increased by the legislature in 25 years. These funds today provide only about 48% of the parish budget. The rest comes from local taxes.

The school district does receive some grants from federal sources, all of which are earmarked for specific purposes outside the general fund and property maintenance.

Many of the school buildings and property in the parish are getting older and require more than average maintenance. Calvin’s building has been in use since 1929 and Winnfield Primary School has been occupied since the late 1940’s, so the maintenance cost is gradually increasing.

The district’s property maintenance is covered by local tax revenue which makes up 7% of the school district’s budget. These taxes allow the schools to issue bonds for funding property upkeep and necessary repairs and improvements. This includes purchase of heating and air conditioning equipment, commercial kitchen equipment as well as other equipment essential for maintaining buildings and grounds which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The parish-wide school maintenance tax comes on the ballot in the election set for April 27. It was first passed by citizens in 1965 at 5 mills and was increased to 8 mills in 1980. The current millage is 8.15. The tax proposition on the ballot April 27 requests a tax of 9.25 mills in lieu of the current 8.15 mills, for a very modest increase which will generate an additional $75,000 per year.

There is also a measure on the ballot for the Dodson-Sikes district seeking to renew a millage used to provide lights for the baseball field, which is needed for replacement of major mechanical equipment and roofing repairs.

The election is scheduled for April 27, and early voting began on Saturday, April 13, and ends on April 20, so Mr. Simmons asks all registered voters to vote YES on all proposals early or on election day, April 27, 2024.