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Natchitoches Parish board adopts 2026 millage, approves contracts and votes to enter executive session on litigation
Summary
The board voted to adopt its 2026 tax millage, approved several vendor contracts (Echo Bridal, US Foods and others), passed a milk contract and an MOU with Primetime Head Start, and approved moving into executive session to discuss pending litigation.
The Natchitoches Parish School Board on May 12 approved a package of fiscal and procurement items and voted to enter executive session to discuss pending litigation.
Tax millage: The board adopted the proposed 2026 tax millages, with the superintendent’s recommendation largely unchanged and a noted 16‑mill figure for a specified district in discussion. The motion to adopt the millages was moved, seconded and passed on a roll‑call vote by the members present.
Contracts and procurement: The board approved a previously negotiated contract with Echo Bridal after staff confirmed the company had accepted requested contract changes. Trustees also approved an MOU with Primetime Head Start that mirrors prior agreements and approved a milk contract for the 2026–27 school year. A competitive bid for food services was reviewed; the two bidders were Lamb Foodservice and US Foods, and the board ratified the award to US Foods after clarifying the vendor name in the record.
Votes at a glance (recorded on the public roll calls in the meeting): - Dress‑code (9b, amended) — approved (roll‑call unanimous among members present). - Millage adoption (item 4b) — approved (roll‑call unanimous among members present). - Echo Bridal contract (item 7a) — approved (roll‑call unanimous among members present). - MOU with Primetime Head Start (item 7b) — approved (voice/roll call as recorded). - Milk contract for 2026–27 (item 7c) — approved (roll‑call unanimous among members present). - Food service contract award to US Foods (item 7d) — approved (roll‑call unanimous among members present).
Executive session: Toward the end of the meeting the board voted to enter executive session under Louisiana RS 42:17 to discuss strategy and defense for litigation described in the public agenda as “Natchitoches Parish Schoolboard versus certain underwriters” in the U.S. District Court (district specified in the agenda). The motion to enter executive session passed on roll call.
Board leaders said routine agenda and informational items would continue when the board resumed public session; no additional public actions were taken after the motion to enter executive session during the meeting record provided.
