PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Parish School Board approved a $2,000 stipend for all certified employees and $1,000 for support staff at its committee meetings Tuesday, extending the governor's executive order to every employee in the district.

The stipend, required by Executive Order 26-047, originally covered only teachers and support staff. But Superintendent Dr. Chandler Smith told the board he wanted to include principals, counselors, nurses, speech therapists, and other specialists.

"It would be a culture killer if we didn't," Smith said.

The board voted 8-0 to fund the full stipend for all positions. Payment is planned for April, just ahead of the May 1 deadline. If an employee leaves before then, the district does not have to pay.

Smith said the move is partly about staying competitive. East Baton Rouge Parish now starts teachers at $56,000. Iberville Parish has also raised pay. West Feliciana is offering a $7,000 stipend funded by data center revenue.

"I don't want to lose employees because of money," Smith said.

The district's proposed budget for the coming year will show a deficit of about $450,000, but Supervisor of Business Jared Gibbs said that number is conservative. It does not account for two new Industrial Tax Exemption Program projects that began generating sales tax revenue on August 1, including Exxon tank work at its Port Allen lube plant and a Community Coffee warehouse expansion. Gibbs estimated the projects could bring an additional $2.5 to $3 million per year in taxable activity, of which the school district collects about 38%.

Charter school transfers top $1.98 million

The June expenditure report showed the district transferred $1,980,475 to charter schools through the state's Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP, up from $1,786,500 the prior year, an increase of nearly $194,000.

The money goes to roughly 50 charter schools across the state where students claim a West Baton Rouge address. The district has no charter school of its own.

"I just can't believe that there's that many students that are going to other schools," Gibbs said.

Smith said he planned to raise the issue at the MFP task force meeting on August 13.

Sales tax dips but boost expected

July sales tax collections came in at $925,601, down about 6.7% from the same month last year. But with the two new Industrial Tax Exemption Program projects now active, the district expects collections to climb. Two additional properties are also scheduled to come off tax exemptions in 2027-28 and 2028-29.

Schools go cashless on fees

The board approved an updated student fees policy moving all schools to cashless payments through the district's online system or point-of-service card readers. Schools will still accept cashier's checks or money orders for fees over $100.

Board members raised concerns about elderly guardians who may not be comfortable with online payments. Smith said schools will handle those situations case by case.

"We'll take those unique situations into consideration," he said.

Head Start and enrollment

Total district enrollment stands at 4,152 students from head start through 12th grade. Pre-K enrollment at Brusly Elementary is down slightly, but all other schools are stable.

The board also approved a cost-of-living adjustment for Head Start family advocates and associate-degree teachers. The 0.6% increase is funded entirely by the federal Head Start program, not local dollars.

Bus driver position dissolved

The board voted to dissolve the bus driver job description and salary schedule after the district's last remaining employee bus driver retired. All student transportation is now handled by DS Bus.

New laws added to student handbook

The board approved additions to the student handbook based on two acts from the 2026 legislative session.

Act 619, the School Threat Accountability and Safety Act, spells out consequences for students who threaten schools and potential penalties for their parents.

Act 782, known as the Ivy Daniels Act, addresses the creation, possession, and distribution of AI-generated images of minors. The law was prompted by a case in southern Louisiana where a student's image was manipulated using artificial intelligence and distributed across a school campus.

Both acts arrived from the state two days before school started. Staff went to every school to brief principals and sent paper forms home with students on the first day. Parents are required to sign and return the forms.

The board also tightened its acceptable use policy for student devices, adding language about students bypassing network filters.

Background check policy updated

The board approved revisions to Policy GBCA, which governs criminal background checks for employees. The update was prompted by a state police audit and includes tighter procedures for storing records in a locked vault, 24-hour breach notification requirements, and mandatory annual training for staff with access to criminal history information.

Speech therapist evaluations

The board approved a change to how speech therapists are evaluated. Lead Speech Therapist Amanda Raymond will now conduct evaluations of the district's speech therapists, a responsibility previously held by school principals.

Facilities work

The board heard a facilities update from Supervisor of Maintenance Chad Fontenot covering summer projects across the district, including ADA compliance work at Port Allen High School, new polymer carpet in high-traffic areas, counselor office conversions, painting across multiple campuses, and a new gym floor at Brusly Upper Elementary after termite damage forced a full replacement.

The lobby at the new Cohn school is complete and furnished with flexible classroom furniture. An open house is scheduled for September 2. Phase two construction on the middle school portion is underway, with pylons being driven this week.

Smith also outlined plans for the current Port Allen Middle School building once the new middle school is finished. The district will convert it into an early college and STEM academy offering dual enrollment courses, engineering, computer science, and a dedicated robotics practice space.

Board members Chareeka Grace and Michael Maranto were absent from all three committee meetings. All items passed 8-0.