WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Tax extension seeks $100 million for schools

Tax extension seeks $100 million for schools

By Tyana Williams - bio | email

PRAIRIEVILLE, LA (WAFB) -  Every school in Ascension Parish could soon be wired for security cameras. That's if taxpayers vote this Saturday to extend a 20-year tax. The school district says several of its older schools need attention.  And the tax, originally passed back in 2005, only covered building five elementary schools.  In some cases, they say it could mean new construction for current schools.

There's nothing necessarily out of whack inside the classrooms at Prairieville Middle School.  One class is learning about how government works.  But, it's the teachers hoping parents exercise the right to vote this Saturday.

"Most of our buildings would be replaced with a new facility," says Principal Diane Gautreau.

The middle school is more than 50 years old.  And according to staff, way past the need for improvements.

"16 classes in T-buildings.  Eight buildings with two classes each," says Gautreau.  She says the building was originally for K-12th graders.  Now, it serves 6th-8th graders. And the middle school students have outgrown it.  She says in some cases, there's more space inside the temporary buildings than in some of the classrooms.

But the T-buildings also have problems, especially on rainy days.

"It's raining hard on aluminum roof, so its very hard to have a lesson that runs smoothly. Rained so hard today that we had water puddles to get through," says Sandi Gautreau, a 6th grade teacher at the school.

On the walkways leading out to the cluster of temporary classrooms, several puddles have formed.  And drops of water continues to spill through the tin roof in some places.

Students have nicknamed the middle school "The Jail", because of the gray bars in front.

"We have to fight that first impression.  We have to tell our kids be proud of who we are, what we do.  Not exactly where we go to school at," says Sandi.

If the voters approve the parish-wide school proposition, Prairieville Middle would get $15,000,000 of the $100,000,000.  Exchanging T-buildings for a brand new two-story school, without jail bars.

To see a list how the money will be divided, click here.

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