The next Election Day is March 25 (early voting from March 11-18 excluding Sunday, March 12), when voters will be asked to approve or deny renewal of three property tax initiatives for Ascension Public Schools. Each proposition would, if voters approve them, extend existing Ad Valorem assessments for ten years, 33 mills combined and anticipated to generate $56,696,269 annually (one parish-wide mill is valued at $1,718,069). That comes to $566,962,680.
PW Prop. No. 1 of 3 — 21 Mills Renewal – SB – 10 Yrs (Salaries and Benefits)
Shall Parish-wide School District of Ascension Parish, Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a twenty-one (21) mills tax on all property subject to taxation in said District, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2025 and ending with the year 2034 (an estimated $36,079,443.00 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for the purpose of giving additional support to public elementary and secondary schools in said District by providing monies for salaries and benefits for all School Board personnel?
PW Prop. No. 2 of 3 — 8 Mills Renewal – SB – 10 Yrs (Technology)
Shall Parish-wide School District of Ascension Parish, Louisiana (the “District”) be authorized to renew the levy and collection of an eight (8) mills tax on all property subject to taxation in said District, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035 (an estimated $13,744,550.00 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for the purpose of providing additional support to public elementary and secondary schools, provided no less than three (3) mills shall be used exclusively for upgrading and maintaining technology programs?
PW Prop. No. 3 of 3 — 4 Mills Renewal – SB – 10 Yrs (Facilities Maintenance)
Shall Parish-wide School District of Ascension Parish, Louisiana (the “District”), be authorized to renew the levy and collection of a four (4) mills tax on all property subject to taxation in said District, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2025 and ending with the year 2034 (an estimated $6,872,275.00 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for the purpose of giving additional support to public elementary and secondary schools in said District by providing monies to construct, improve, maintain and operate the public school buildings and facilities in Ascension Parish?
All told there are ten Ad Valorem assessments on the books at present.
- Buildings-2.5 mills
- Constitutionally mandated-3.61 mills
- General Operations-7.4 mills
- 2005 Bond-3.79 mills
- 2009 Bond-3.05 mills]
- 2016 Bond-3.94 mills
- 2020 Bond-4.3 mills
- TOTAL-24.65 mills
All told it comes to $99,046,677 in expected revenue collected annually. According to the Ascension Public Schools website:
Ascension Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in Louisiana, and the largest to consistently maintain an “A” rating in the Louisiana Department of Education’s accountability system. The district is the largest employer in the parish with approximately 3,100 employees, including 2,000 teachers. It enrolls 24,000 students in 31 schools and 3 programs. An A-rated school district since letter grades were introduced in 2011-12, Ascension Parish currently ranks 4th in Louisiana for District Performance Scores and 1st for Progress Index.
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