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

Here is the schedule for the remaining CHS baseball games:

April 16 @ Denham Springs 6 PM

April 18 HOME vs Catholic 12:30 PM

April 21 HOME vs Woodlawn 4 PM

April 23 @ Walker 4 PM

April 25 HOME vs Scotlandville 12:30 PM

April 28 HOME vs Denham Springs 4 PM

April 30 @ Catholic 5:30 PM

May 7 Playoffs Begin (TBA)

This year’s Wildcat Scramble is coming up this summer. The Wildcat Scramble is an annual 4-man scramble golf tournament fundraiser that benefits Central High athletics. The tournament this year will take place on Friday, June 12th at the Copper Mill Golf Club. Tee times are 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The entry fee is $400 per team or $100 for each individual, and sponsorships are available. For more information or entry forms, call Wes Watts at 261-3169 or Wyndi Bonvillian at 273-0075. Those who are interested can also email Wes at wwatts@centralcss.org.

This week there are two opportunities for kids to do spring crafts at the library to celebrate spring break. At the Greenwell Springs Road Library, young teens can create spring beaded bracelets this Thursday, April 16th from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Registration is required. Register online HERE.

On Friday, April 17th at 11:00 AM, the Central Branch Library will host story and craft time. Children ages 3-5 are welcome to make fishy storycrafts. They will listen to a reading of “Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister. Afterward, each child will make their own rainbow fish. Contact Youth Services for more information at 262-2660.

From April 1st through April 12th, Baton Rouge Gallery hosted CFA’s “Real-Life Experience” Juried High School Exhibition. Every year, the gallery puts on a show featuring East Baton Rouge Parish area high school students. This is always a great opportunity for these young artists to have their work featured in a major public exhibition. Central High School art students were among those who participated in this year’s art show. Congratulations to Central High student Robert Guiller O. Paloma, who was awarded an honorable mention in the show.