Sales tax collections keep St. Mary schools in black

Sales tax collections remain up for a second month in a row in St. Mary Parish.

Alton Perry, the chief financial officer of the St. Mary Parish School Board, delivered the good news to his employer at the close of last week’s regular monthly meeting. The school board serves as the parish’s chief sales tax collector.

Perry said the parish has collected $2.995 million in taxes versus the $2.535 million in projected spending.

“Very good news,” school board president Roland Verret said. “Hopefully, it continues.”

For the year, collections are running about 14 percent over last year’s figures, and 18 percent more than budgeted, Perry said.

“We’re about $500,000 toward the good in sales taxes,” he noted.

In other fiscal matters, Superintendent Donald Aguillard said the school system’s post-Labor Day enrollment is down only 51 students.

The board heralded the news, especially since last month, the district kicked off the 2010-11 school year with nearly 200 fewer students than the previous year.

“I’d like to thank all of our principals for helping get our kids back into classrooms,” Aguillard said.

Empty desks in any Louisiana public school translates into fewer state funds.

St. Mary school enrollment was down 193 students at the start of the school year, which meant at least a $1 million loss – or $5,300 per student – from the state Minimum Foundation Program.

In personnel matters, the school board learned it may have to hold on to its pool of retirees who are currently working in the school system.

Human Resources Director Ricky Armelin said a new state law forbids the district to hire anyone who retires from any Louisiana public school system.

“Unless we have a critical shortage, and we prove that to the state, we can no longer hire any of our retirees who leave any statewide system, including ours,” he said.

Of the district’s 1,500 employees, Armelin said 20 are retirees. Another 50 to 60 retirees substitute teach or work in other departments.

“We’re not saying we don’t want our people back,” he added. “That is not our law, but a state law.

“Thankfully, those persons who retired before July 1 of this year can still work within our system because they are grandfathered into it.”