St. Landry Parish superintendent warns of staff cuts and school closures after millage defeat

Superintendent Milton Batis told the St. Landry Parish School Board on June 4 that the parish faces difficult fiscal choices after voters rejected a proposed millage for the third time. He said the millage represented a revenue need — not a want — and warned the board and community that the district will likely have to consider staff reductions, school closures and other structural changes to balance the budget.

Batis said the millage would have provided millions of dollars in general-fund relief and capital improvements, and that without it the district must identify other cost reductions. "This is going to affect rural communities. It is going to affect city schools," he said, adding he will recommend "wholesale closures districtwide" and reductions in central-office staff at an upcoming board retreat.

The superintendent referenced an executive action discussed publicly that called for raises — $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support employees — and said the district’s already underfunded Minimum Foundation Program will be further strained by those requirements. He said some costs that would have been covered by the millage will now fall to the general fund.

Board members acknowledged long-term budgetary pressures that predate the May 16 special election and said closing and consolidating had been discussed in earlier years as contributors to alleviating structural deficits. One member, speaking before a formal agenda vote, noted the district carried multimillion-dollar deficits prior to the recent propositions and urged an inclusive public discussion at the planned June 13 retreat to clarify contributors and options.

Batis and board members framed the discussion as a fiscal reality check rather than a definitive plan. The board did not vote on closures or specific layoffs at the June 4 meeting; Batis said he would bring formal recommendations to the retreat and to future board meetings. The board also urged the public to remain engaged and said additional details would be provided as planning progresses.

The board’s agenda that night included routine approvals and several actions to preserve funds for maintenance and student travel; those votes did not authorize the closures the superintendent previewed. The next procedural step for the superintendent’s proposals is the June 13 board retreat, where he said he will present recommended actions and timelines.