St. John the Baptist Parish School Board approves membership in state financing authority and moves to pursue up to $30 million in bonds for Hurricane Ida work

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board voted Oct. 14 to join the Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority and to authorize steps to pursue up to $30,000,000 in financing to pay for demolition, repair, reconstruction, restoration and improvements to district school facilities damaged by Hurricane Ida.

Board members approved the two related resolutions after a Finance Committee recommendation to appoint David Andras as the school board’s director to the state authority. The vote to join the authority and appoint Andras carried 10 yeas and 1 nay; the later financing resolution passed by the same margin. Mr. Burl asked that the record reflect his negative vote was due to the lack of a district chief financial officer during the period under review.

Why it matters: the authority enables political subdivisions to access financing for public infrastructure projects under Chapter 10‑D of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. The board’s action begins a multi-step process: selecting bond counsel and municipal advisors, applying to the authority and the Louisiana State Bond Commission, and determining final bond terms and structure in later resolutions.

Bond counsel Hardey Andrews (Foley & Judell, L.L.P.) told the board the financing-resolution vote is an initial procedural step that “does not obligate the Board to borrow money, but will allow the Board to do so if needed.” The written resolution filed by the board contemplates bonds maturing not later than 10 years and interest rates not to exceed 5 percent per annum; the resolution also authorizes employing bond counsel and municipal advisors and filing required applications with state authorities.

Public comment: Shondrell Perrilloux spoke in opposition to the financing during public comment. The transcript records community concern but does not show a specific alternative financing plan presented at the meeting.

Next steps and schedule: the board also introduced the district’s comprehensive 2021–2022 budget at the meeting and noted a public hearing on the budget will be held Nov. 2, 2021. Any actual bond issuance will require subsequent board resolutions and approval by the Louisiana State Bond Commission.

Votes at a glance: the authority‑membership resolution and the financing‑intent resolution each passed 10–1 (Yeas: Holden, Keller, Sanders, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Triche, Mitchell‑Williams; Nay: Burl).