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Dumars takes over as Pelicans vice president of basketball operations
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2025 LEGISLATURE EDUCATION
Bill would tie school funding to attendance Critics warn it could unfairly penalize financially strapped school systems
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
had been online. That complex is due to begin operating by midsummer. “In general, the system functioned the way that it should. It’s just when you see double-digit rains like we did on the West Bank, and then 7, 8, 9 inches elsewhere, it overwhelms the system,” Nelson said. Three of the five pumps that were dormant on Monday were in New Orleans East, an area that saw major flooding. But Nelson said two of those
As Louisiana continues to grapple with high rates of student absenteeism, a lawmaker wants to push districts to tackle the issue by tying funding to student attendance so that schools with low attendance rates would get less money. Currently, public school districts receive funding based on how many students they serve and those students’ needs. “The goal is to House Bill 185 by Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton get districts Rouge, would instead give more involved schools money based on atin making sure tendance data that districts that students are collect daily. there daily.” Proponents argue the proposal, which is loosely REP. BARBARA modeled on policies in other FREIBERG, states, will encourage disR-Baton Rouge tricts to do more to reduce the growing number of students who miss too much school. But critics warn it could unfairly penalize financially strapped school systems and make it more difficult to address the root causes of absenteeism, which experts say often stem from issues outside of school. Nearly one in four Louisiana students was chronically absent last year, according to state data. The absenteeism rate, defined as students who miss 10% or more of a school year, grew three percentage points from 2023 even as most states saw their rates decline. “The goal is to get districts more involved in making sure that students are there daily,” Freiberg said. The bill “is one piece that might be helpful in trying to stem the great numbers” of students who are chronically absent. Six states — California, Kentucky, Idaho, Mississippi and Texas — use average daily attendance rates to determine school funding, said Hedy
ä See DRAINAGE, page 4A
ä See BILL, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Joe Dumars speaks during his introductory news conference Tuesday after taking over as executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. Dumars, a Natchitoches native, said ‘I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t think we could build and become winners here.’ More coverage in Sports, 1C.
Officials: Drainage worked during floods Five pumps and a turbine were out
BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
Five drainage pumps were out of service and a major turbine was offline while heavy rainfall flooded many New Orleans neighborhoods on Monday, but Sewerage & Water Board officials said Tuesday that those outages didn’t contribute to widespread flooding.
Instead, they said, the massive rainfall — including 10 inches of rain in Algiers — overwhelmed a drainage system that is generally equipped to handle just an inch of rain in the first hour and a half inch every hour thereafter, even when operating at full capacity. Sewerage & Water Board General Superintendent Steve Nelson also said the rain would have likely overtaken the system even if a planned $360 million power complex aimed at supplying reliable power for the city’s pumps
Funeral for Francis set for Saturday INSIDE recovering after being hosPope thankful he been pitalized for five weeks with pneudied Monday at age 88. He ä Pope Francis converted to made Easter greeting, monia, made his last public appearance environmental cause. Page 7A Vatican News reports Sunday, delivering a blessing and ä Unlike his predecessor, Francis
looping around Vatican City’s famous square in his popemobile. Francis initially had doubts about the ride, Vatican News reAssociated Press ported. “Do you think I can manVATICAN CITY — Pope Francis was age it?” the pope asked Massimilthankful that he was able to greet iano Strappetti, his personal health throngs of people in St. Peter’s care assistant, according to the Square on Easter, a day before he news agency. died, though he initially had some The pope was reassured, and he doubts given his poor health, Vati- stopped to reach out to people, escan News reported Tuesday. pecially children, as he was driven The Argentine pontiff, who had through the crowd of 50,000 — the
BY NICOLE WINFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY
WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 70 PAGE 8B
believed papacy was for life. Page 7A first time since his release from the hospital that he had mixed with the faithful at large. Afterward, Francis told Strappetti, “Thank you for bringing me back to the square,” Vatican News said. The pope showed the first signs of illness around 5:30 a.m. the next
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO
ä See POPE, page 6A Pilgrims arrive in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Tuesday.
Business ......................8A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
12TH yEAR, NO. 254