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Lafourche board authorizes RFP for cashless payments; resident warns law may limit cash refusal
Summary
The board authorized an RFP for cashless payment solutions for after‑school events. A resident raised concerns about whether a cashless-only approach would conflict with state law; board members said implementation details remain undecided.
The Lafourche Parish School Board on Nov. 5 authorized a request for proposals seeking cashless/digital payment solutions for after‑school and extracurricular events, and discussed logistics for patrons who arrive with cash.
During the RFP discussion a resident, Debbie Melvin of Thibodaux, asked whether the district planned to make the system exclusive (cashless only) and noted a 2024 Louisiana law that affects refusal of cash at certain postsecondary events. "I was wondering if this was going to be exclusive use of just a cashless payment thing at sporting events and things after school," Melvin told the board; board members responded that a cashless option was the intent but that details about accommodating people who bring only cash had not been finalized.
Board members said the RFP phase is intended to explore vendors and options and to reduce the district’s cash-handling burden, citing bookkeeping and bank-deposit logistics as motivating factors. The board voted by voice to authorize advertisement of the RFP and moved on to other business.
What to watch: The RFP authorizes staff to solicit proposals; the board did not adopt final implementation rules at the meeting. If the district later adopts a cashless-only policy for events, staff and legal counsel will need to confirm compliance with applicable state law and district policy and to identify fallback procedures for patrons who can pay only with cash.
