During the Ouachita Parish School Board meeting, finance staff presented the district's financial statements for the period ending Nov. 30, 2025, reporting a general fund balance of $20,900,000 and a District 1 maintenance-and-operations balance of $26,000,000.

On sales-tax performance, the presenter said the district's November collections are up "21% on collections" compared with November 2024 and that the aggregate for the fiscal year is up about 11%. The presenter attributed part of the increase to local economic activity tied to Meta's construction presence in the community, noting increased spending for groceries, lodging and dining by workers and visitors. "I would expect that we would still see maybe not this increase, but this higher level of collections over the course of the construction period at Meta, which I believe is supposed to be about 5 years," the presenter said, adding that the district will budget conservatively and continue monitoring receipts.

Board members asked about sustainability and whether the increase is permanent; staff reiterated that although some elevated collections are expected during the construction period, the district will not assume those amounts as permanent revenue and will watch collections closely before increasing spending commitments.

What happens next
Finance staff will continue monthly reporting to the board and will incorporate a conservative revenue approach into upcoming budget decisions. The board anticipates the external audit report to be presented at the February meeting.

Source and attributions
Budget figures and sales-tax changes were presented by the district finance presenter (addressed in the meeting as Miss Mickus).