Latest news with #DustinYates
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana Senate committee approves bills for St. George school district; EBR warns of $140M hit
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Louisiana Senate committee approved two bills Wednesday that would pave the way for the creation of an independent school district and board in the newly incorporated city of St. George. Sen. Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge) authored the legislation, Senate Bill 234 and its companion measure, Senate Bill 25—both of which cleared the Senate Committee on Education. SB 234 outlines the structure and transition for the proposed St. George Community School System, while SB 25 is a constitutional amendment that must be approved by voters statewide to grant the district full authority. St. George Mayor Dustin Yates told the committee the proposal fulfills one of the city's core promises: providing stronger educational options for families. 'This has always been about putting our kids first,' he said. SB 234 would create the legal framework for a new school system and school board within the city limits of St. George, which became Louisiana's fifth-largest city after winning a 2024 Louisiana Supreme Court decision to incorporate. If passed, the school system would begin operations on July 1, 2027, following a multi-year transition process. The bill proposes the governor appoint an interim superintendent and a seven-member interim school board, drawn from local nominations by legislators. That board would draft district maps and establish governance plans before the first election of board members. Louisiana released school scores. Did your local schools make the grade? SB 234 also outlines how students, buildings, school buses, funding, and other resources would be transferred from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System to the St. George system. The two systems would be required to enter agreements allowing continued access to magnet and charter programs and ensuring state and local education funding follows the student. SB 25, the constitutional amendment, would appear on the Nov. 15, 2025 statewide ballot. If approved by voters, it would give the St. George district the same constitutional authority granted to parish school systems, including the ability to collect property taxes and receive state education funding through the Minimum Foundation Program. But not everyone supports the move. Dadrius Lanus, who represents District 2 on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, warned of the potential financial blow to EBR Schools. He said the system could lose $140 million in local revenue to St. George. 'We have done everything possible to fix a lot of concerns and the problems that you've heard today for the very reason why St. George wants to break away,' Lanus said, pointing to the district's ongoing realignment plan that includes school closures and consolidations affecting over 10,000 students. The plan is scheduled to go before the school board in May for final approval. The St. George school system proposal has been years in the making. A similar plan was proposed more than a decade ago but failed to move forward due to challenges with funding and the inability to pass a constitutional amendment. The latest proposal resolves many of those past concerns, according to Edmonds, including issues with district boundaries. Trump signals shift in tone on China tariffs Trump signs executive orders on school discipline, education reform Louisiana Senate committee approves bills for St. George school district; EBR warns of $140M hit How will RFK Jr.'s autism data collection work? Trump adding two 'beautiful' flagpoles to White House grounds as part of his 'touches' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City of St. George begins process to create independent school district
ST. GEORGE, La. (Louisiana First) — St. George is moving forward with its plans to establish an independent school district, city and state leaders announced Thursday. The proposed legislation, set to be introduced in the upcoming legislative session, marks a significant step toward fulfilling one of the city's core promises. 'Today's the first step in the process of doing the first thing we ever promised. When we create that initiative to create a city, and that's to create a school system,' said St. George Interim Mayor Dustin Yates. Yates stressed that creating a school district has been a key goal since St. George became a city. 'The thing that excites me the most is that for the first time in a long time, we're going to put our kids first. We're going to put our priorities where they need to be,' he said. State Sen. Rick Edmonds confirmed that plans for the St. George School District are already in motion. He said that discussions have taken place with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, and a bill will be introduced during the legislative session in April. The proposal includes a funding measure that will be presented as a constitutional amendment. According to Edmonds, the amendment could appear on the ballot as early as this November. 'That means a statewide people will have to approve this and East Baton Rouge Parish as well. So both of those instruments will be introduced in the next few weeks,' he said. The bill will set the boundaries for the new school district. It will also create a school board and a superintendent. Plus, it will tackle important issues around charter and magnet schools. 'In the bill will state that if you are already a part of a magnet school in East Baton Rouge Parish and you'd like your child to continue in that in that magnet school, there will be a already a cooperative diver agreement between Saint George Community School System and East Baton Rouge Parish that that parent doesn't have to worry about that and the same will go for charters,' Edmonds said. Trump signs executive order to dismantle Department of Education If voters say yes to the proposal in November, the governor will then appoint interim leaders for the new school system. These leaders will oversee the transition and determine a timeline for full implementation. 'They would begin the groundwork of trying to implement with all these things that have to go involved. These are legacy costs, retirement cost, buildings, transportation plans, and we'd have to coordinate that with East Baton Rouge Parish and that board would decide whether they were ready or they had to wait another year,' Edmonds said. 'They would make that ultimate decision, along with making the decision of getting on the ballot so that we would have a permanent board or and or election for those things.' Baylor holds off Mississippi State in final seconds to win 75-72 in March Madness Elon Musk visits Pentagon City of St. George begins process to create independent school district Trump suggests paying overtime to astronauts back from space Trump suggests law firms 'want to make deals' after rescinding Paul, Weiss order Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
See who's qualifying for City of St. George mayor, police chief, city council
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Candidates for City of St. George mayor, chief of police and city council can qualify for the March 29 election from Jan. 29-31. In the Dec. 7 election, voters decided on a St. George proposition involving a 2% sales tax set to begin in April 2025, replacing the existing sales tax collected by the Baton Rouge government. The proposition passed with 79% of 27,355 votes. For the upcoming spring election, voters will decide on key leadership positions for St. George. Interim Mayor Dustin Yates announced his plans to run for full-term mayor. Gov. Jeff Landry appointed Yates after the incorporation of the City of St. George. 'I'm running for mayor because I believe in a brighter future for our city and parish—a future where families thrive, businesses grow, and neighbors work together,' Yates said in his announcement. Two weeks ago, Interim Chief of Police Todd Morris, also appointed by Landry, announced his candidacy for a full-term position. St. George city council approve mayor, police chief salaries Here are the candidates who qualified on Wednesday. Dustin Yates, Republican Todd Morris, Republican Joel Davis, Republican David Dellucci, Republican 'Richie' Edmonds, Republican Steve 'Chili' Monachello, Republican Max Himmel, Republican Patricia 'Patty' Cook, Republican No one qualified for the District 5 Council Member seat on Wednesday, Jan. 29. City of St. George officials qualify for March 29 election, ready to continue work Flu map: These states are now at CDC's highest activity level Oklahoma family waiting over 2 years for birth certificate President Trump signs the Laken Riley Act Trump makes his first moves on education, but no McMahon hearing in sight Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
