In the late 1960s a sales tax was proposed for the purpose of “helping teachers’ salaries keep pace with inflation.”

Many McNeese education students, teachers and I worked very hard for this sales tax proposal. It passed and still generates revenues today — a rare permanent sales tax.

What part of this tax goes toward salaries, and why is another sales tax being proposed to do the same thing?

The permanent sales tax, approved by voters in March 1968, was intended primarily to provide revenue to boost pay for teachers and other school district employees. But Calcasieu Parish school system officials at the time made clear that some of that tax revenue would go toward other costs.

An American Press story from Feb. 8, 1968, says officials planned to parse the expected $2.3 million in annual tax revenue like so: $1.6 million to increase teacher salaries, $200,000 to boost other workers’ pay and the rest to cover a budget deficit. Later stories included mention of enrichment expenditures such as libraries and counselors.

Kirby Smith, the school district’s spokeswoman, said last week that the 1968 tax is officially dedicated for “the payment of salaries of teachers in the public elementary and secondary schools of the Parish and for the expenses of operating said schools, such operating expenses to include payment of salaries of other personnel.”

“The revenues from the tax contribute to the district’s general fund for exactly that purpose,” Smith wrote in an email. “In any given year, salaries and benefits are approximately 83 percent of our general fund expenditures, therefore, approximately 83 percent of the permanent 1 percent sales tax is spent on salaries and benefits.”

She said Calcasieu Parish has the fifth-largest school system in the state, but ranks low in teacher pay. The proposed 10-year, half-cent tax, to be on the May 2 ballot, would increase all district employees’ pay and benefits and lift the district to the top 10 in teacher pay rankings, allowing it to recruit and retain good teachers, Smith said.

In a presentation to the Kiwanis Club in the late 1960s, Calcasieu Parish School Board sales tax committee head Arthur Gayle made similar arguments.

“Calcasieu Parish has for some time ranked in the top three or four parishes in the state as far as quality teachers,” reads a Feb. 15, 1968, American Press story. “However, the teacher pay scale for the parish presently ranks 34th among state parishes. Parish teachers are the lowest paid in Southwest Louisiana, Gayle said.

“He said the parish will need 272 new teachers next fall. Approximately 50 of these will be required because of normal growth. The remainder will be needed to fill vacancies created by teachers leaving the parish or the teaching profession. Being 34th as far salaries go among the state parishes makes recruiting very difficult, Gayle said.”

Average annual teacher salaries for the five-parish area, along with pay rankings, according 2012-2013 data, the latest available from the state:

Allen Parish — $45,958; 47.

Beauregard Parish — $50,184; 16.

Calcasieu Parish — $46,944; 40.

Cameron Parish — $50,911; 14.

Jeff Davis Parish — $48,421; 23.

Calcasieu School Superintendent Karl Bruchhaus has said the 10-year, half-cent sales tax would take in close to $23 million a year for teacher pay. The district’s teachers last received a pay raise seven years ago.

l

Online: www.cpsb.org; www.louisianabelieves.net.

l

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.

(MGNonline)