By Pat Culverhouse

Webster Parish schools, including the central office, paid more than $2.642 million in utility costs during fiscal year 2024-25, and parish school board members will be considering an alternative plan to help with those expenses.

Director of Business and Finance Crevonne Odom presented board members a proposal for utilities allocation which would redirect 50 percent of the money from the district’s seven maintenance and sales tax funds to help pay utilities.

“If we can move about $1.2 million from the funds (to help pay utilities) we can save money in our general fund,” Odom said during Monday’s board meeting.

Those maintenance and tax funds support specific schools and are used to pay for maintenance, supplies and improvements. On Oct. 13, funds and the schools they support, include:

• Springhill Maintenance Fund: Browning Elementary, Brown Upper Middle and North Webster High. A fund balance of $917,177 supported by 7.31 mills property tax. Estimated revenue for fiscal year 2025-26 is $348,280.

• Consolidated Dist. 3 Maintenance Fund: Central Elementary and Lakeside Jr/Sr High. Fund balance is $2,249,793 million supported by total millage of 25.21. Estimated ’25-’26 revenue $1,011,316.

• District Six One-half Cent Sales Tax Fund: Phillips, Jones and Richardson elementary schools, Webster Jr. High and Minden High. Current fund balance is $6,568,792. Millage rate unavailable, but anticipated $2,546,059 in ’25-’26 revenue.

• Doyline Maintenance Fund supports Doyline High School. Fund balance is $1,097,320, supported by a 5.19 mill tax. Revenue for ’25-’26 estimated $147,179.

• Sarepta Maintenance Fund supports North Webster Jr. High. Fund balance is $1,428,763; millage rate is 24.25 with anticipated revenue of $229,628 for ’25-’26.

• Shongaloo Bond Fund supports North Webster Lower Elementary. Fund balance of $556,660. No millage rate; no estimate of revenue for fiscal year.

• Cotton Valley Maintenance Fund supports North Webster Lower Elementary and has a balance of $285,463. Millage rate is 5.06. Estimated revenue for ’25-’26 is $157,332.

A breakdown of utility costs by category for the past fiscal year show the school system paid a total of $2,169,067 for electricity, $307,001 for natural gas and $166,647 for water and sewage.

Board members reportedly will consider the allocation option in a future meeting, but did not set a deadline for a decision.