Beauregard Parish School Board reviews FY2026 budget, keeps millage rates and approves finance committee items

Beauregard Parish School Board members on an unscheduled meeting reviewed a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2026 and voted to keep the district’s current millage rates in place.

Cynthia Carlton, a staff member who presented the budget, told the board, “We are presenting an operational budget for Beauregard Parish School Board with total projected revenues, not to include our federal grants, of $93,105,478.” Carlton said the figure represents a roughly 12% increase in total projected revenues compared with last year’s budgeted revenues and that the increase reflected stronger sales-tax and ad-valorem receipts to date.

The superintendent, Mister Pauley, and staff framed the budget for the board as a single set of documents now required by state reporting. Carlton said the district’s general-fund expenses are forecast at $42,834,139 and that salaries and benefits account for about 93% of general-fund spending. She described the general fund as now including MFP (Minimum Foundation Program) dollars, ad valorem, sales tax, parishwide debt and other operational transfers. Carlton told the board the budget documents and worksheet comments from directors will be available in hard copy in the boardroom for public inspection until the board’s scheduled vote in June and provided a short‑lived QR link for members to view materials on their phones.

On a separate, formal action the board read and adopted a resolution to maintain the district’s current millage rates for the 2025 tax roll. The resolution set the following rates as published to the board: Constitution tax 4.78 mills; parishwide maintenance and operating 8.63 mills; parishwide maintenance and operating 22.52 mills (as stated in the reading); and parishwide bond principal and interest 17.8 mills. The board adopted the resolution by an aye vote; the record in the meeting transcript shows the measure passed unanimously.

The finance committee recommended that several procurement items be handled together (the transcript refers to “globaling” multiple food‑product items). Miss Weldon recommended the motion; Miss Neeley moved and Mister Shirley seconded the combined vote. Board members approved the global procurement vote without discussion.

The board also approved a revision to policy file GBA (compensation guides and contracts) and voted to waive the waiting period for that policy change. The motion passed on an aye vote with no recorded opposition in the transcript.

In other business, a board member provided a point of information stating the district will hold a virtual day the following day to make up time lost to weather. That notice was presented to the board as an operational announcement rather than an item requiring a vote.

The budget presentation did not include a final adoption vote; staff said the FY2026 budget documents must remain available for public viewing in the boardroom until the board takes a formal vote at its June meeting.

Votes at a glance • Resolution to levy 2025 millages (maintain current rates) — adopted (unanimous; roll call reading recorded). • Finance committee: global approval of food‑product procurement items — approved (motion by Miss Neeley, second by Mister Shirley). • Policy GBA revision (compensation guides and contracts) and waiver of waiting period — approved (vote recorded as aye; no opposition recorded).

Why it matters: The budget presentation lays out the district’s revenue and spending plan for the next school year and identifies that nearly all general‑fund spending is personnel costs. The millage resolution confirms that the tax rates used to levy property taxes for school funding will remain unchanged for 2025, and the procurement and policy approvals allow staff to proceed with planned purchases and implement the compensation‑policy change more quickly.

The board will return in June for the formal budget vote after the public viewing period required by state reporting rules.