LouisianaSB 2342025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

SCHOOLS: Creates and provides for the St. George Community School Board and school system in East Baton Rouge Parish. (See Act)

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

12 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 8 mixed.

Families retain cross-system school choices

The systems must agree to let St. George residents attend adjoining East Baton Rouge schools under existing cross-district enrollment law. Residents of either system can enroll in charter schools anywhere in East Baton Rouge Parish. They can also apply to selective magnet programs across system lines, meeting admission rules and maintaining academic standards. New charter or magnet applicants cannot displace students already waiting, and systems may give qualified residents priority. For transfers made under the systems' agreement, local per-student and state school funding follows the student to the receiving school.

Students can stay at current schools

Students living in either system can choose to stay at the school they attended on the act's effective date. High school students can stay through graduation. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade can stay through fifth grade; those in grades six through eight can stay through eighth grade. After those grade limits, attendance outside the home system requires another legal authorization. Students count in their enrolled system for state funding and other membership purposes. These rules depend on statewide approval of the required constitutional amendment authorizing St. George or parish-equivalent school systems.

Summer services continue for qualifying students

East Baton Rouge must provide extended school-year services through August 31, 2027, for qualifying students living in St. George. Students must have qualified for those services before June 30, 2027. The protection covers both public and nonpublic school students.

St. George gets its own school board

The law creates a separate public school system covering the city of St. George, with operations beginning July 1, 2027. Its operating rules depend on statewide approval of a constitutional amendment granting the system parish-level school powers. Seven elected members represent seven population-balanced districts, with initial elections required before student instruction begins. The governor appoints seven unpaid interim members within 30 days after the act takes effect, using state legislators' nominees. Interim members must be at least 18, qualified electors, and meet school-board qualifications. They need two years of Louisiana residency and one year of residency within the system. Within 180 days of appointment, the interim board must adopt a governance plan and draw election districts. The governor also appoints an interim superintendent until the elected board chooses a qualified replacement. Once St. George starts educating students, East Baton Rouge must redraw population-balanced, single-member board districts outside St. George. Current parish board members finish their terms; members elected at the next regular election serve concurrent four-year terms.

St. George takes over charter oversight

On July 1, 2027, St. George takes over local charter schools authorized by East Baton Rouge before the act's effective date. Existing contracts remain in force until expiration unless operators renegotiate them with St. George. Operators can also ask the state board to convert their schools to Type II charters. After the act's effective date, new charter applications for St. George locations go to its board or another legally authorized route.

School boards divide assets and debts

The boards must meet within 60 days after the act takes effect to begin dividing related assets and debts fairly. Values are measured as of the act's effective date, and the boards may jointly select professional advisors. The review covers land, buildings, vehicles, related reserves, trust accounts, insurance, maintenance, depreciation, and retirement and post-employment obligations. Any payment needed to balance the division can be paid at once or over several years by agreement. Disputes cannot delay required property transfers or St. George's July 1, 2027 start of instruction.

St. George covers eliminated jobs' pension debt

St. George must pay unfunded pension obligations tied to qualifying jobs eliminated because it establishes or operates its school system. The jobs must have been held by current Louisiana School Employees' Retirement System members. This includes elimination through outsourcing, privatization, private contracts, or other means. Payments go to that retirement system and are limited to the pension debt tied to the eliminated jobs.

St. George funds legacy retiree benefits

The law creates a trust for legacy health and life insurance benefits tied to retirees previously employed in St. George schools. It covers teaching, administrative, transportation, food-service, custodial, and other covered school staff. St. George must make its first deposit within 12 months after operations begin and annual deposits afterward. The initial payment uses covered East Baton Rouge retiree benefit costs divided by its pre-July 1, 2027 pupil count. That per-student cost is multiplied by St. George enrollment for the school year after July 1, 2027. Deposits for 2028 and later years use the specified per-student formula and initial enrollment data. East Baton Rouge must annually itemize covered benefits for St. George's full-time hires; St. George reimburses those costs quarterly until paid. Additional deposits stop when an actuarial study finds the trust can cover St. George's required share of legacy benefits.

St. George funds other districts' losses

The state must identify districts outside East Baton Rouge that lose state school funding because St. George separates. It withholds the total losses from St. George's Minimum Foundation Program allocation and sends that money to affected districts per student. This applies for the budget year beginning July 1, 2027, and the next four budget years. The law sets no fixed dollar amount.

St. George receives local school taxes

Through June 30, 2027, school-purpose property and sales tax collections from St. George go to East Baton Rouge school authorities. Beginning July 1, 2027, the collector sends St. George all school-purpose property, sales, and use taxes collected within its boundaries. That includes late payments of past-due taxes. This changes which school system receives the money, not household tax rates or tax bills.

St. George receives schools and buses

Qualifying public school property must transfer from East Baton Rouge to St. George by June 30, 2027. This includes property within St. George and property used to transport students to facilities there. St. George then manages and controls it. East Baton Rouge must promptly help transfer students, facilities, teaching materials, buses, and related assets. It must give immediate, complete access to relevant buildings and student and financial records, plus free building use for transition activities. Before transfer, East Baton Rouge cannot block the process, remove related assets, or assign debts not properly tied to those schools. Both systems must develop a transportation plan or a plan to transfer buses.

St. George shares school construction debt

By June 1, 2027, East Baton Rouge's Educational Facilities Improvement District must provide schedules and accounting for qualifying construction bonds. Beginning July 1, 2027, St. George must reimburse its share of debt payments for completed school construction within its boundaries. The construction must use Qualified School Construction Bonds issued before the act's effective date. Reimbursement uses the prior budget year's attributable debt payments and is due within 30 days after confirmation.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Rick Edmonds
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

Charles Owen
Republican • House
Emily Chenevert
Republican • House
Josh Carlson
Republican • House
Kathy Edmonston
Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 95 • No: 32

House vote • 6/4/2025

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 60, nays 26. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 60 • No: 26

House vote • 5/28/2025

Reported with amendments

Yes: 9 • No: 2

Senate vote • 5/8/2025

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 26 yeas and 4 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 26 • No: 4

Actions Timeline

Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 455.
6/20/2025Senate
Effective date: See Act.
6/20/2025Senate
Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.
6/11/2025Senate
Signed by the Speaker of the House.
6/11/2025House
Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.
6/11/2025Senate
Called from the Calendar.
6/10/2025Senate
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
6/9/2025Senate
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 60, nays 26. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.
6/4/2025House
Received from the House with amendments.
6/4/2025Senate
Read by title, amended, passed to 3rd reading.
6/2/2025House
Scheduled for floor debate on 06/04/2025.
6/2/2025House
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.
5/29/2025House
Reported with amendments (9-2). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.
5/28/2025House
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
5/13/2025House
Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.
5/12/2025House
Called from the Calendar.
5/8/2025Senate
Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 26 yeas and 4 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
5/8/2025Senate
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
4/29/2025Senate
Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.
4/28/2025Senate
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
4/23/2025Senate
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
4/22/2025Senate
Rules suspended. Introduced in the Senate. Read by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
4/16/2025Senate

Bill Text

Enacted
PDF
Engrossed
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Enrolled
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Introduced
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Reengrossed
PDF

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