The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted down a $786,385 contract with BRYC on July 17 that would have funded ACT preparation electives across 10 high schools, post-secondary advising for seniors and quarterly professional development for staff.

The superintendent recommended the contract using supplemental course allocation (SCA) funds earmarked for such services. The contract materials in the board packet described a program delivering ACT prep electives for approximately 220 juniors, advising for about 1,380 seniors not enrolled in an existing capstone course and access to digital resources and diagnostic testing tools.

Supporters said BRYC (listed in board materials as the vendor) provides services the district is not presently staffed to offer at scale. "We are not equipped to provide to our students the level of service that BRYC is currently providing to our students," Superintendent Cole said of the administration's recommendation. Mr. Russell and other backers argued the contract uses state-allocated SCA funds rather than general fund dollars and would reach under-resourced students who otherwise lack access to college counseling.

Opponents said the district should explore internal options and a competitive procurement process rather than repeatedly funding a single outside provider. "We shouldn't be the major funder," said Mr. Lanus, who argued the district should develop an internal program or use an RFP so multiple vendors can compete. Board members also raised timing concerns about approving an expensive program days before school starts.

Board members proposed multiple procedural paths: approve the contract for this year and plan a wider budget and procurement review in the fall retreat; or defer to allow open competition and further information. The motion to approve the BRYC contract was moved by Mr. Beaulieu and seconded by Mr. Martin but failed on the board vote.

Key contract details and constraints

The administration described the funding as SCA (supplemental course allocation) money that is earmarked for specific purposes and cannot be converted to general staffing. Superintendent Cole said the district is not fully staffed for the start of the school year and that converting SCA funds into staff positions would not meet the grant rules and could not be done immediately.

Board counsel confirmed that if the item fails tonight, the board could revisit it later but that bringing it back might require a two-thirds vote under board procedures. Several members said they want a broader conversation at the board's fall work sessions or retreat about how external-partner dollars should be allocated and whether funding should be centralized as district budget categories then distributed through competitive selection.

Outcome and next steps

The motion to approve the BRYC contract failed; no approval was recorded. The superintendent said staff can continue conversations with BRYC and other potential providers, and several board members asked staff to develop options for competitive procurement and for internal capacity-building that could be considered for 2026–27 planning.