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School leaders balk at proposed cuts Landry wants to use funds for teacher bonuses
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
In public statements and private conversations with lawmakers, Louisiana’s school superintendents are sounding the alarm about Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal to pay for teacher bonuses by cutting public school funding. In recent days, school district leaders have publicly raised con-
cerns at school board meetings and on social media about the nearly $170 million proposed reduction in state funding, warning that it could jeopardize school programs and staff positions. They also have shared their concerns privately in letters and calls with state legislators, who must vote this month on Landry’s plan, which needs the backing of two-thirds of the Legislature to take effect.
The superintendents have challenged Landry’s suggestion that they tap their rainy-day funds to pay for the stipends, and they argued that the governor’s decision to exclude certain school staffers — including principals and counselors — from the bonus pay is bad for morale. They also say the proposed cut, which represents about 5% of state funding for K-12 schools, will be especially painful
for rural districts that rely heavily on state money to keep their schools running. The tiny Caldwell Parish school system in recent years has eliminated teaching positions, shuttered a school and tapped its reserves to plug a budget hole caused by declining enrollment, said Superintendent Nicki McCann. Now, under Landry’s plan, the district is looking at a roughly $423,000 reduction in state spending — a “devastating” amount that could send the school system into a tailspin,
One student injured in shooting at Baker High
McCann said. “I immediately called our legislators and said, ‘Y’all, we can’t do this,’ ” she said, warning them that the threat is existential. “In two to three years, we’re going to be handing you the keys to our school system and saying, ‘We’re closing.’” For the past three years, Louisiana has given $2,000 stipends to teachers and $1,000 to support staff instead of permanent raises.
ä See CUTS, page 7A
Four EBR prison guards indicted Men accused of beating inmates, cover-up
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
A law enforcement officer walks onto Baker High School’s campus following a shooting at the school on Wednesday.
Multiple suspects involved, police say
people involved in the shooting, though the exact number was not known. “All of the suspects and the victim were known to us and each other,” Dunn said. The shooting happened behind the band room at 10:15 a.m. The student, who was attending summer school, was leaving the BY TIMOTHY BOONE and OLIVIA TEES campus when he was hit by shots fired Staff writers from across the street, authorities said. The student was taken to a local hospital One student was injured and a person of interest was detained following a shoot- in stable condition. Dunn said he heard at least seven shots ing Wednesday morning at Baker High School — the second incident involving being fired. Wednesday’s shooting came two days gunfire there this week. During a news conference, Baker Police after reports of gunfire just outside the Chief Carl Dunn said there were multiple Baker High stadium during football prac-
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tice early Monday morning. A person of interest was detained in relation to the shooting, but they were later released. Officials declined to speak further about the Monday incident, noting that it is an open investigation. Capt. Randolph Harrell, the resource officer at Baker High, said he was not on campus at the time of Wednesday’s shooting. Harrell said he was investigating Monday’s shooting to make sure nothing retaliatory would happen to the football team. The football team was practicing off campus.
ä See BAKER, page 8A
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Four guards at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison were indicted in federal court on Wednesday over accusations that they brought multiple prisoners to areas of the prison without cameras, beat the prisoners and then conspired to cover up the crimes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In one beating, an officer is accused of striking a pretrial detainee in the head with a metal folding chair, while another is accused of slamming an inmate’s head into a doorframe while escorting him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The indictment charges two former deputies and two former corporals with crimes relating to civil rights abuses, conspiracy, making a false report and witness tampering: n Aaron Johnson, 29, of Denham Springs, was charged with three counts of abuse of rights under color of law in the assault of unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance. n Kenyaki Domino, 29, of Baton Rouge, was charged with two counts of abuse of rights under color of law in the assault of unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance. n Darius Powell, 24, and Lionel James, 30, both of Baton Rouge,
ä See INDICTED, page 7A
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