The Livingston Parish School Board voted 5-2 to table final action on the district distribution schedule for the 2025–26 fiscal year after robust public comment and a staff presentation on two allocation scenarios.

Public commenter Trey Cowell urged the board to adopt a weighted per‑pupil distribution that would direct more resources to less‑populated parts of the parish. Cowell said the second‑cent sales tax—ratified in 1978 for construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of the parish’s public schools—has produced unequal results, saying: “Over the last 5 years… Denham, Walker, and Live Oak have spent $57,000,000. Everybody else, dollars 9,800,000 out of second cent sales tax.”

Business manager Ashley Hamney presented two scenarios for the board. Scenario 1 reflected the unweighted, actual per‑pupil allocation used in 2024–25; Scenario 2 applied a higher weight per student in smaller districts, similar to the state’s approach in 2023–24. Hamney said both scenarios were included in the board packet for comparison.

Board members debated whether to proceed with the vote without a full compliment of members present. A motion to table the item until the next meeting carried on an up‑and‑down vote, recorded as 5 yes and 2 no. The chair instructed staff to add the district distribution schedule to the Dec. 18 agenda so the full board can revisit it.

The board did not change the underlying scenarios during the meeting; the two options and Hamney’s presentation remain in the record for the Dec. 18 consideration.