East Baton Rouge schools property tax collections offsets drop in federal revenues

(The Center Square) – A $68 million increase in property taxes is going to lessen the impact for East Baton Rouge Parish School System of the “fiscal cliff” many municipalities have worried about in the post-pandemic financing of government.

In fiscal year 2024-25, the district will see its federal revenue plummet, dropping from a peak of $24.2 million two years ago to a projected $4.7 million in 2024-25. The district’s pandemic federal revenue was $31.4 million in FY 2021, $70.7 million in FY 2022, to $90.7 million in FY 2023 to $54.1 million in FY 2024. The district provided no projection for its federal pandemic money in 2024-25.

The district's collection of property taxes has increased from $165.6 million in FY 2019 to a projected $233.7 million in FY 2024-25. The data was released recently to the school board.

East Baton Rouge Schools General Fund budget has increased $272.6 million in FY 2019, the year before the pandemic, to a projected $374.6 million in FY 2024-25.

East Baton Rouge school district officials didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.