New district gets support

About 200 people filled the pews at Woodlawn Baptist Church on the night of Mardi Gras to learn more about a new proposed school district that would be the fourth one carved out of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.

State Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, confessed he was not sure of the support for a new southeast Baton Rouge school district, but Tuesday’s crowd and many emails assured him otherwise.

“I see no reason in the world that this couldn’t be the most successful school system in the state of Louisiana, and be a place where you’ll want to send your kids and your grandkids to,” White said.

The informational meeting was called by the newly formed group, Local Schools for Local Children.

Afterward, several parents approached by The Advocate said they supported the idea.

Sabrina Dunnam and her husband Adam both said they want better schools to choose from by the time their 18-month-old daughter Hadley reaches kindergarten.

“Our concern was would property taxes go up,” she said, saying she was glad to hear assurances that they would not.

Meghan and Herb Fong said they would prefer not to send the children they hope to have to schools in Livingston Parish, where Meghan Fong works as a teacher.

Roxane Williams, parent of three children in public schools, including two at Parkview Elementary, said she liked what she heard but would need to do more research. She also said she wants little changed at Parkview.

The proposed district would extend southeast from the Interstate 10/Interstate 12 split, south of I-12 and east of I-10 to the parish lines.

If approved by legislators and voters, the Southeast Baton Rouge Community School District would include the Westminster, Inniswold, Woodland Ridge, White Oak, Shenandoah, Woodlawn, Santa Maria and Old Jefferson neighborhoods. The 10 schools would include Woodlawn High, Southeast and Woodlawn middle schools, and seven elementary schools.

White said he expects the two bills, one a proposed constitutional amendment and the enabling legislation, will be posted online later this week. The goal is to have the new district in operation by fall 2013, but White acknowledged it took Central supporters three tries at the Legislature to gain their independence.

White assured the audience that the new school district could function fine without new taxes, saying that its tax base is much greater than what Zachary and Central enjoyed.

Baker also has its own school district.

White did not mention that both Zachary and Central later successfully passed new taxes to pay for school improvements. He did say that southeast Baton Rouge schools appear to be in much better shape than the ones Central and Zachary inherited.

Norman Browning, president of Local Schools for Local Children, did most of the talking Tuesday night. A smaller school district means safer schools, shorter bus rides, more community and parental involvement, and a better place to live, he said.

Browning also told parents who send their children to magnet schools outside the boundaries of the new proposed district that the new district would not disappoint them.