Proposition Two on the May 2nd ballot is dedicated to making repairs to our existing school facilities.  These “Priority 1/Life Safety Issues” include: Architectural, Mechanical and Roofing/Plumbing Repairs

The Repairs Will Be As Follows:

–Central High School – ($6.25 million)

–Central Intermediate — ($104,000)

–Bellingrath — ($2.25 million)

–Tanglewood — ($3 million)

Central Middle School is in need of about $24 million in repairs.  Since this exceeds the cost of a new facility, Proposition One seeks to replace the school rather than spending money renovating it. 

Proposition Three on the May 2nd ballot is dedicated to constructing a new Elementary Middle School.  Why do we need this?

CCSS would divide elementary levels into primary, intermediate and upper elementary levels – creating smaller, age-appropriate campuses

CCSS would save about $400,000 each year on the rental of Starkey Academy and several temporary classroom buildings by building a new elementary school.

The Central Private Rebel baseball team was able to return to the win column after suffering two consecutive defeats for the first time this season.  The Rebels battered the Silliman Wildcats by the score of 12-2.  It was the Rebels’ first home game after a week in Florida. Seth Stevens led the way for the Rebels as he went 2 for 4 at the plate with a home run, 2 RBI and 4 runs scored.  Logan Lewis was the only other Rebel with multiple hits as he was 2 for 2 with 4 RBI.  CPS was able to take advantage of 7 walks however. Jason Young went the distance on the bump for Central Private, allowing 3 hits and striking out 2. This was the last regular season home game for the Rebels. Central Private completes the regular season with a double header at Silliman on Friday night.

The 1/2 cent sales tax on the May 2nd ballot is dedicated exclusively for a new Central Middle School.  Why don’t they just renovate the existing Middle School?

–The cost to repair Central Middle School, including asbestos removal, would be about $24 million – whereas the cost of the new school, including the purchase of 60 acres of property for future expansions, will cost the same or less.

 The current middle school facilities can house only 600 students – temporary classroom buildings are being used, and the student enrollment exceeds capacity for the campus cafeteria and bathrooms.  The new Central Middle School will be designed to accommodate 1,200 students.

U.S. Senator David Vitter has a new way for people to receive updates from Congress. On David Vitter’s website, people can sign up to receive text messages with the latest Congress news. These texts will contain information about important votes taking place in Congress, major Senate and administrative news, and any town hall meetings near you. Visit Senator Vitter’s Website to sign up. Any costs associated with your text messaging plan will still apply.

On Tuesday, April 28, a public forum on the proposed school tax prepositions will be held in the Central High School auditorium. The Central Community Alliance (CCA), Central Chamber of Commerce, and the Kiwanis Club will sponsor this event discussing the whys and/or why nots to vote for the proposed Central Community School System tax propositions. The schedule for the event will run as follows:

6:30: Central High Jazz Band, Central High Choir, Students

7:00: Central High and Central Middle School students discuss the pros and cons of the school tax prepositions. Hear the reasons why they think you should or should not vote for this tax.

7:30: Students and School Board panel answer audience questions.

Remember that the school tax prepositions will be put to a vote on May 2. Find more information on these taxes HERE.

How are we managing your investments?

• Preliminary reports from the Louisiana Department of Education show Central Community School System students performed the same or better than students in the state’s highest scoring districts last year. The results remained consistent for students in grades 4 and 8 and in high school. (*School districts must complete two years of testing before they are included in the state’s official accountability report.)

• The Central Community School System currently has budgeted approximately $29.1 million in its general operations fund to pay for teacher pay and benefits, operational expenses, textbooks and supplies, utilities, fuel and other costs. The majority of the system’s funding comes from the state through the Minimum Foundation Program.

• More than 75-percent of the general operations budget is spent on teacher pay and benefits.

• The Central Community School Board this year voted to reduce the millages levied on local assessed property by 3.66 mills, thereby giving back more than $327,000 to local tax payers.

Here are some upcoming events for Central High Wildcats athletics:

Softball- Playoffs begin April 21 (TBA)

Boys Basketball Team Banquet- Monday, April 20

Wildcat Backer Meeting- Monday, May 4 @ 7 PM in the CHS Cafeteria

Wildcat Backers Crawfish Boil Fundraiser- Friday, May 8 3:30-5:30 PM (Tickets can be bought at Central High, Central Christian Academy, and AAS Company.)

Spring Sports Awards Night- Saturday, May 9 @ 6 PM in the CHS Theater

CHS Football Camp- May 26-28

CHS Basketball Camp- June 1-4

CHS Baseball and Volleyball Camps- June 8-11

CHS Girls Basketball Camp- June 15-18