History, statistics for LPSB bond issues
Low-turnout win raises 20-year total to $75 million
The Lincoln Parish School Board’s bond proposition that passed in the Ruston school district Saturday carried the second-lowest voter turnout among similar proposals over at least the past 20 years.
Its passage means Ruston property owners have paid, or will pay, $75 million to finance school improvement projects over the past two decades.
The school board has come to voters in the Ruston attendance zone — its largest individual taxing district by far — seeking approval for capital project financing five times over the past 20 years.
Four of those passed, including Saturday’s $17.5 million package for mainly athletics and security upgrades. This one brought just 11.4% of registered voters to the polls — 2,162 ballots.
That’s fewer voters than bond proposals in 2023, 2013, and 2004.
Only the district’s smallest bond issue — $3.4 million for the New Tech and ag building additions at Ruston High School in 2011 — drew fewer voters, as only 904 people cast ballots, good for just 4.7% turnout.
The school board has asked Rustonarea taxpayers for just shy of $140 million for capital projects over the past two decades, and just under $75 million has gained approval.
It’s all paid from one property tax in the Ruston school zone that, by state law, continues to be levied until all outstanding bonds are paid off, which hasn’t happened as new bonds continue to be issued.
Saturday’s proposal was aimed almost exclusively at RHS and Ruston Junior High School. Some $12.2 million will go to athletic facility additions and renovations for the football, softball, baseball and basketball teams, as well as other programs. Another $2.45 million or so will pay for security upgrades at both campuses, such as fencing, gating, new doors and advanced body scan machines.
There’s also roof repair and parking expansion projects as well as activity buses that the entire Ruston district, including the elementary schools, will share.
A year ago a $65 million bond proposal — the district’s largest by far in that span — was defeated by a historically unprecedented margin as 70% of the 2,670 participating voters rejected a plan that would have closed two of Ruston’s elementary schools and expanded the other two to house grades K-5.
The other packages were for $21 million in 2013 and $33 million in 2004, both passing.
All four Ruston elementary schools, I.A. Lewis, RJHS and RHS each received $1-8 million in upgrades from each of these two packages, from classroom additions to added lockers, security upgrades and much more.
Four of the five proposals came in the month of April on otherwise blank ballots for Ruston voters.
Only the 2013 proposition had company on the ballot, hitting the polls that November alongside a Congressional candidate race. The 18.1% turnout (3,044 voters) for that item was the highest of these bond proposals.
Saturday’s proposal also saw the narrowest margin of the five, as 54% of voters approved the measure.
Even the 2004 package, which was the only one to propose an actual increase in the millage rate, passed with 56% support.
The Lincoln Parish School Board is likely not done with bond proposals for the Ruston district over the next few years.
Officials billed Saturday’s project slate as “ Phase 1” of improvements for Ruston schools. “Phase 2” would involve a third- party consultant conducting a study on the district’s facilities and the district’s population trends to recommend what the school board should do with each of its school campuses moving forward.
In the likely event these recommendations include more capital projects — whether that be renovations or new construction — another bond proposal would likely be needed to finance them.
For now, the school district is set to begin issuing the bonds from Saturday’s passage this summer, with the contracting process to begin the work following soon thereafter.
