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EBR School Board discusses proposed St. George district amid plans for school in southern part of parish
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Baton Rouge - We are getting a better idea of how the East Baton Rouge Parish School System may be impacted if the city of St. George forms its own school district.
It was heavily discussed during Thursday night's school board meeting as district leaders push to build a new high school in the southern part of the parish.
Currently, the location set for the new school is within the city limits of St. George at South Reitz Avenue and Reiger Road.
The board decided to move forward with advertising for firms to create designs for the new school.
Back in 2018, voters approved a one-cent tax renewal to fund the new high school.
"This tax plan was done on the last board, so therefore we're fulfilling the obligations of the tax plan," East Baton Rouge School Board President Shashonnie Steward said.
But, with St. George looking to create its own school district, East Baton Rouge School Board member Dadrius Lanus says it could have a significant impact on the district's plans.
"Each of our buildings that we would lose is going to be multi- million dollar buildings, and we're also talking about thousands of students in terms of MFP dollars, almost to the tune of 8,000 students. When you collectively add all that together, that's over 100 million dollars. Our school system cannot survive if we have this breakaway," Lanus said.
In total, East Baton Rouge school leaders say they are looking at a 25% loss if St. George can form its own district, but board president Shashonnie Steward says the impact could be less than the current estimates.
"Those school buildings, the oversight on those buildings, the staff, the teachers, all of that, we won't have that, ultimately we will have a loss, but it won't be to the detriment that people think," Steward said.
As for the high school, some members of the board say they would not approve construction of the school starting in the current location picked, if it were. The St. George School District was approved by voters.
The proposed St. George School District will go before voters statewide in May.
If it passes, the earliest they could form a school system would be summer 2027.
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