WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Central school district holds annual fundraiser

Central school district holds annual fundraiser

By Tyana Williams - bio | email

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - An estimated four thousand people turned out for the 4th annual "Cooking for Kids" in the city of Central. The fundraiser challenges cooks to bring their "A" game to help the school system raise $1 million by 2010. Voters will make a crucial decision for the schools in four weeks.

Last summer Central voters turned down a tax proposal that would have added new schools. Superintendent Michael Faulk says the Central community is very involved with the schools system. He's hoping that commitment will carry over when voters decide on three new propositions.  

As of now school may be the last thing some of these kids are thinking about. Saturday's event will help raise money for Central schools and this years focus is to supply every school with new library books.

Superintendent Michael Faulk looks on with a message to the community pinned to his shirt. He says it's time to address the problems with Central's schools.

"To build two new schools - one of those be a new Central Middle School house students in grades six, seven and eight and the other be to build a new elementary school to house students in grades three, four and five," said Central school's Superintendent Michael Faulk. "Because right now we're leasing a whole school to hold 4th and 5th graders."

Central is leasing the old Starkey Academy because they ran out of space for more than 500 students. In fact, this fundraiser was held on a new neighborhood slated for 200 homes, which Faulk says means more kids for his school system.

After the last failed tax proposal, the school leaders have come up with three new propositions. One proposition is a half-cent sales tax that would give the system $24 million to address overcrowding.

The second is a 9 mills property tax that would upgrade current schools. The third is  a 14.4 mills property tax equalling $20 million for a new elementary school.

While that vote is still weeks away, finding folks to cast a ballot here is no problem.

Central is also giving a portion of what they raise to St. Helena to help them refurbish their high school. The school was destroyed by a five-alarm blaze in November.

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