St. Mary Parish School Board Withdraws August 15 Sales Proposition for Teacher Raises

Statement from St. Mary Parish Schools

”A sales tax measure originally set for a May ballot item that was postponed until August has been withdrawn by the St. Mary Parish School Board. The withdraw of the tax measure comes as the economic impact of continued coronavirus infections remains of serious concern in addition to discrepancies in the ballot language itself. The school board acted this week to verify their intentions to withdraw the tax measure and submitted it to the appropriate state election officials.

The school board is highly cognizant of its role as a governing body to serve as responsible stewards of public funding while correspondingly acting to recruit and retain certified teachers. In December, the board voted to begin the process of placing a sales tax measure on the ballot that would make St. Mary competitive with surrounding parishes in this area. However, a public health emergency and its effects on the local economy resulted in a reconsideration of the measure. In the end, board members agreed that it was most appropriate to withdraw the tax measure altogether given the critical circumstances faced by local citizens.”