Louisiana Senate approves constitutional amendment, implementing bill to create St. George Community School System

A constitutional amendment to create the St. George Community School System in East Baton Rouge Parish and a companion implementing bill cleared the Louisiana State Senate after debate about potential costs to the existing parish school system.

Senator Edmonds moved final passage of the constitutional amendment, saying the measure "will be voted on statewide and also will be voted on in the parish," and described the proposal as the culmination of more than a decade of local work to form a city and school district. "For some of my parents and families, this is a local bill. It's one of those bills that's, once in a lifetime," he said.

The proposal drew a formal objection from Senator Barrow, who said he opposed the bill because of fiscal uncertainty. "There is going to be a cost to the East Baton Rouge school system," Barrow said, citing a figure that had circulated in meetings — "16% deficit, which amounted to about $58,000,000" — but he also acknowledged that the number had not been verified by an actuary.

Edmonds and supporters said the bills include measures intended to address legacy costs and student continuity. Edmonds told the Senate he had letters from retirement systems stating they did not anticipate a negative impact from the legislation: "SB 2 34 as currently written has no impact on the TRSL," he read into the record referring to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana, and said a similar review by the Louisiana School Employees' Retirement System showed no anticipated negative impact. He said the implementing bill establishes a legacy trust fund and provisions to grandfather some students and allow charter and magnet schools to operate under local arrangements. "We put a trust fund in place that's in the bill that will begin to as the actuaries meet," Edmonds said.

In questioning, senators pressed Edmonds for more precise actuarial analysis. Barrow asked whether the 16% / $58 million figure had been confirmed; Edmonds replied that the number was an informal estimate from a meeting participant and "has never been verified by any formal actuary," and that independent actuarial work is underway. Edmonds said the bill requires actuarial review and that the sponsor and local officials would continue to work to avoid leaving the East Baton Rouge Parish system with a funding shortfall.

On student assignment and school choice, Edmonds said the bill allows existing charter and magnet arrangements to continue in specified ways and that "the money follows the child" in cases where students enroll in the new district's schools. He added that some provisions, such as allowing students to continue in magnet programs, could be amended later if they prove unpopular.

The Senate adopted a technical amendment on the implementing bill and passed the measures. The constitutional amendment (Senate Bill 25) passed final passage on a recorded vote of 26 yeas and 5 nays. The implementing bill (Senate Bill 234) later passed on a recorded vote of 26 yeas and 4 nays.

Senators said further work was expected at the committee and local levels, including actuarial studies to define any retiree-liability transfers and follow-up meetings with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and other stakeholders.

The measures now proceed to the next phases required by law: the constitutional amendment will appear on the ballot as prescribed, and the implementing statute will follow the usual enrollment and enactment process.