ST. LANDRY PARISH — After a 7-0 vote—with a few board members choosing to abstain—the St. Landry Parish School Board has approved the budget for the 2025-2026 school year, despite a projected $4.9 million deficit.
During Thursday night’s regular board meeting, the district’s chief financial officer presented the 2025-2026 budget and broke down its revenues and expenses. According to the presentation, the district faces a $4.9 million deficit—a figure that once stood at $14 million just a week prior. After making some cuts and factoring in the board’s plan to pay off a $9 million loan early next year, Superintendent Milton Batiste says the district’s deficit has now shrunk to $4.9 million.
“It is concerning,” noted Superintendent Milton Batiste .
The financial challenge comes amid significant changes in the district, including the addition of a new charter school and other private schools in the area.
Superintendent Batiste explained that the deficit is tied to two main factors: the $9 million loan the district plans to pay off in March, and declining student enrollment as more families opt for charter or private schools.
“Each year, we lose two to three hundred students. This year, we're budgeting for a loss of six to eight hundred,” Batiste said.
When students leave, the district loses federal dollars that follow them. Batiste estimates that about $9 or 10 million in funding could shift to charter schools this year alone.
In an effort to balance the budget, the district decided not to fill some open positions and adjusted class sizes, rather than laying off staff. “We trimmed the excess in areas we could—without sacrificing instruction,” Batiste said.
Looking ahead, Batiste says the focus will be on tightening spending while protecting classrooms and staff.
