BATON ROUGE, La. (April 20, 2017) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today announced its support for the renewal of the operating millages that provide funding for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBR Schools). The millages, which are contained in Propositions 1 and 2, contribute to the general operating budget of the system. Early voting for the millages begins this Saturday, with election day on the following Saturday, April 29, 2017.
According to EBR Schools, the millages represent 28 percent of the system’s operating budget and are vital to avoid significant negative impacts to programs, class sizes, learning materials, staffing, and extra-curricular activities.
In asking for the BRAC board’s support, EBR Schools’ Superintendent Warren Drake discussed his strategy for short- and long-term improvement of the school system, known as the Plan for Academic Innovation and Organizational Efficiency. The plan includes strategies for addressing the needs of communities and education stakeholders across the parish.
“Our board reviewed the plan proposed by Superintendent Drake and was pleased to learn of its specific strategies for improving both academic achievement and efficiency, consolidating some facilities while offering new programming throughout the parish,” said BRAC’s Senior Vice President for Economic Competitiveness Michael DiResto. “For our schools to successfully lead students on the path to economic opportunity, they must be able to afford basic operating needs, so we urge voters to support these two propositions.”
As the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Art Director, Christy communicates visually the organization’s brand identity and messaging.