SLS 25RS-86 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 25
BY SENATOR EDMONDS AND REPRESENTATI VE CHENEVERT
SCHOOLS. Constitutional amendment to grant the St. George community school system in
East Baton Rouge Parish the same authority granted to parishes to operate a school system.
(2/3 - CA13s1(A))
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2 Proposing to amend Article VIII, Section 13(D)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative
3 to certain effects and purposes for the proposed St. George community school system
4 in East Baton Rouge Parish which shall be regarded and treated as a parish and shall
5 have the authority granted parishes with respect to operating a school system,
6 including the purposes of certain funding and the raising of certain local revenues for
7 the support of elementary and secondary schools; to provide for submission of the
8 proposed amendment to the electors; to specify an election date for submission of the
9 proposition to electors and to provide for a ballot proposition.
10 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
11 elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state, for
12 their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to amend Article VIII,
13 Section 13(D)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
14 ยง13. Funding; Apportionment
15 Section 13. * * *
16 (D)(1) Municipal and Other School Systems. For the effects and purposes of
17 this Section, the Central community school system, the St. George community
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 25
SLS 25RS-86 ORIGINAL
1 school system, and the Zachary community school system in East Baton Rouge
2 Parish, and the municipalities of Baker in East Baton Rouge Parish, Monroe in
3 Ouachita Parish, and Bogalusa in Washington Parish, and no others, shall be
4 regarded and treated as parishes and shall have the authority granted parishes.
5 Consistent with Article VIII of this constitution, relevant to equal educational
6 opportunities, no state dollars shall be used to discriminate or to have the effect of
7 discriminating in providing equal educational opportunity for all students.
8 * * *
9 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted to
10 the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 15,
11 2025.
12 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at said election
13 there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
14 to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
15 follows:
16 Do you support an amendment to grant the St. George community school
17 system in East Baton Rouge Parish the same authority granted parishes for
18 purposes of Article VIII, Section 13 of the Constitution of Louisiana,
19 including purposes related to the minimum foundation program, funding for
20 certain school books and instructional materials, and the raising of certain
21 local revenues for the support of elementary and secondary schools?
22 (Amends Article VIII, Section 13(D)(1))
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SB 25 Original 2025 Regular Session Edmonds
Present constitution (Article VIII, Section 13(D)(1)) states that the Central and Zachary
community school systems in East Baton Rouge Parish, the municipalities of Baker in East
Baton Rouge Parish, Monroe in Ouachita Parish, and Bogalusa in Washington Parish, and
no others, shall be regarded and treated as parishes and shall have the authority granted
parishes with respect to operating a school system. Further provides that no state dollars
shall be used to discriminate or to have the effect of discriminating in providing educational
opportunity for all students.
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Proposed constitutional amendment retains present constitution and additionally provides
that the St. George community school system in East Baton Rouge Parish shall also be
regarded and treated as a parish and shall have the authority granted parishes to operate a
school system.
Present constitution, (Article VIII, Section 13(D)(1)) all of the following:
(1)Requires the legislature to appropriate funds to supply free school books and other
materials of instruction prescribed by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education (BESE) to the children of this state at the elementary and secondary
levels.
(2)Requires BESE to annually develop and adopt a formula which shall be used to
determine the cost of a minimum foundation program (MFP) of education in all
public elementary and secondary schools as well as to equitably allocate the funds
to parish and city school systems. Specifies that the MFP formula shall provide for
a contribution by every city and parish school system.
(3)Establishes the process for consideration and approval of the MFP formula by the
legislature.
(4)Requires annual appropriations to fully fund a legislatively approved MFP formula
and permits the governor, in accordance with legislatively specified procedures and
with legislative approval, to reduce such appropriations.
(5)Requires that appropriated funds be equitably allocated to parish and city school
systems according to the MFP formula as adopted by BESE and approved by the
legislature prior to making the appropriation.
(6)Requires the use of the last legislatively approved MFP formula whenever the
legislature fails to approve the formula most recently adopted by BESE.
(7)Provides that local funds for the support of elementary and secondary schools shall
be derived from the following sources:
(a)Requires each parish school board (except in Orleans Parish) and each
municipality or city school board actually operating, maintaining, or
supporting a separate system of public schools to levy annually an ad
valorem maintenance tax not to exceed five mills on the dollar of assessed
valuation on property subject to such taxation within the parish or city,
respectively.
(b)Requires the Orleans Parish School Board to levy annually a tax not to
exceed 13 mills on the dollar of the assessed valuation of property within the
city of New Orleans assessed for city taxation and to certify the amount of
the tax to the city's governing authority. Requires the governing authority to
have the tax entered on city tax rolls and requires that the tax be collected in
the manner, under the conditions, and with the interest and penalties
prescribed by law for city taxes. Specifies that the money thus collected shall
be paid daily to the Orleans Parish School Board.
(c)Permits any parish, school district, or subschool district, or any municipality
or city school board which supports a separate city system of public schools
to levy an additional ad valorem tax for a specific purpose of school funding,
when authorized by a majority of the electors voting in the parish,
municipality, district, or subdistrict in an election held for that purpose.
Requires that the amount, duration, and purpose of the additional ad valorem
tax to be in accord with any limitation imposed by the legislature.
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Proposed constitution retains present constitution.
Specifies submission of the amendment to the voters at the statewide election to be held on
November 15, 2025.
(Amends Const. Art. VIII, Sec. 13(D)(1))
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.