Taxpayers get small break from St. Mary School Board

CENTERVILLE — St. Mary Parish School Board voted to roll back the general tax funds by 0.01 mills during Thursday’s monthly meeting at the Central Office Complex.

The school board has a total of eight property tax levies, but only two of the tax levies affecting the parish and accounted for in the general fund were listed as agenda items, Chief Financial Officer Alton Perry said.

The 2016 Constitutional School Tax rate was adjusted from 8.36 mills to 8.35. The Consolidated School District 5 millage rates decreased from 11.18 to 11.17.

The 2016 assessed valuation increased from 2015. If the board kept the millage the same, it would have generated $12,437 more in taxes this year. The board’s decision to slightly decrease the millage keeps the revenue neutral, Perry said.

A mill is 1/10th of a cent of tax levied on $1 of a property’s assessed evaluation. In Louisiana, the assessed valuation of residential real estate is 10 percent of market value.

The three separate maintenance taxes were renewed last year. Therefore, those items are not subject for reassessment. The current maintenance fund millage rates:

—Consolidated School District 3 is 12.

—Consolidated School District 2 is 12.17.

—Sixth Ward School District 3 is 11.75.

In addition, three debt service taxes used to cover outstanding debt were not reassessed.

The current bond retirement funds millage rates:

—Consolidated School District 1 is 10.

—Special School District 4 is 6.

—School District 1 Ward 5 is 15.

In other business, former M.D. Shannon Elementary principal Shantell Toups was appointed principal at J.S . Aucoin Elementary because of school consolidation.

The new assistant principal at Bayou Vista Elementary is former J.A. Hernandez principal Charles Foulcard . Both appointments are for the 2016-17 school year.