www.thecentersquare.com – By Emilee Calametti | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-29 13:08:00
(The Center Square) — Lake Charles residents will vote on two mayoral candidates in Saturday’s election, alongside many tax renewals for Westlake and the parish.
Republican Nicholas Hunter and independent Marshall Simien are campaigning for the mayoral seat. Hunter has held the position since 2017. During the March election, neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote, resulting in both entering the May 3 runoff election.
Previously, Hunter received 47% of the vote, while Simien received 29% of the vote.
District C in Lake Charles is holding an election for a new councilmember. The two candidates are Democrat Tommy Bilbo and Priscilla Sam.
The city of Westlake is seeking a millage renewal of 10 mills for the next 10 years. The tax collected will amount to $705,000 a year starting in 2026 and ending in 2035 . This tax renewal will continue to go towards operating and maintaining the city’s fire department.
Westlake is also asking voters to renew a millage to operate and maintain the city’s police department. Like the fire department millage, this renewal is also for 10 mills for 10 years starting in 2026.
Two sales tax renewals are on the ballot for the city of Westlake. Voters can decide for or against renewing a 1% sales and use tax estimated in total to collect $1.5 million a year. The sales tax is for 10 years beginning July 1, 2027.
The funds from this sales tax go to constructing, acquiring, improving, operating and maintaining fire departments, sewage facilities, public parks and recreational facilities. The tax will also be used to supplement the cost of salaries and benefits for city employees.
An additional sales tax seeking renewal is a one-half percent sales and use tax amounting to $750,000 annually for 10 years beginning Oct. 1, 2027. The funds from the tax go towards improving, operating and maintaining the city’s police department.
The final prop for residents to vote on is a sales tax renewal but for the Calcasieu Parish Law Enforcement District. The funds collected go towards deputy salary schedules, future living cost salary adjustments, continued funding of the patrol and corrections divisions and maintenance of the Emergency Fund Balance or Reserve in the event of an emergency. If passed, the half-percent sales tax would generate $33.5 million a year for 10 years beginning Oct. 1, 2026.
Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany.She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a factual and neutral report on the upcoming local elections and tax renewals in Lake Charles and Westlake. It describes the candidates, their party affiliations, and the specifics of the tax measures without employing loaded language or framing that suggests a particular ideological bias. The focus remains on informing readers about the election logistics and tax proposals rather than advocating for any candidate or policy stance, maintaining an objective tone throughout. This coverage exemplifies straightforward reporting on political events without offering an ideological perspective of its own.
SUMMARY: A gunman opened fire through windows at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a Wednesday morning Mass, killing two children, ages 8 and 10, and injuring 17 others, including 14 children and three elderly adults. The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police described the attack as deliberate and incomprehensibly cruel, targeting innocent worshippers. Authorities are investigating a manifesto Westman posted online. The FBI is treating the incident as domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics. Community members and leaders expressed profound grief and solidarity.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Nolan Mckendry | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-27 08:01:00
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, launched in 2023, aims to strengthen homes against hurricane-force winds by providing up to $10,000 grants for roof upgrades to national standards. Since Hurricane Katrina’s devastating 2005 impact, Louisiana invested over $14 billion in levees and pump stations, reducing flood risks but still facing wind damage threats. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple emphasizes that resilient homes help keep communities intact, lower insurance costs, and speed recovery after storms. The program has awarded over 3,700 grants, with more homeowners fortifying independently. The next registration opens Sept. 2, offering 500 grants to eligible coastal residents, streamlining the application process for repeat entrants.
(The Center Square) − As New Orleans has rebuilt and rebounded, Hurricane Katrina’s impact has informed much of the policy and initiatives throughout the state.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple told The Center Square, focuses not just on flood protection but on stronger homes and communities.
“The city, the state, and the federal government spent over $14 billion to fortify levees and build additional pump stations,” Temple said. “But we’re still going to have hurricanes. Our properties are still going to be subject to hurricane-force winds. That’s why the focus now is on resilient housing stock.”
The Crescent City was braced for a Category 5 hurricane in the gulf 20 years ago this week. It arrived that Aug. 29, Category 3 at landfall, tearing through levees, homes and lives. It remains among the most deadly and costly of all time from the Atlantic basin.
Temple said the state’s investments in levees and pump stations after Katrina reduced the risk of another catastrophic flooding event. But, he warned, Louisiana remains highly vulnerable to hurricane-force winds that can tear apart homes and destabilize entire communities.
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program provides grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade roofs to nationally recognized standards able to withstand stronger winds. Since launching in 2023, the program has awarded more than 3,700 grants, with thousands more homeowners fortifying their roofs without state help.
Temple said the program’s impact goes beyond lowering individual insurance costs. Strengthening homes, he said, helps keep communities intact in the wake of major storms.
“When people’s homes are damaged, the longer it takes to repair and rebuild, the less likely they are to move back,” he said. “More resilient homes mean people are more likely to return, insurance remains affordable, and entire communities recover faster. That’s a part of resilience that hasn’t been talked about enough.”
The program’s next registration round opens Sept. 2, with 500 grants available. Homeowners in Louisiana’s coastal zone, Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake are eligible to apply. Those who registered in the September 2024 or February lotteries will be automatically reentered into the new round.
Temple said his office is working to make the process smoother for applicants.
“The last time, we had over 10,000 people sign up,” he said. “We’ve tried to make sure people don’t have to resubmit every single time. Once you put your name in the hat, it should stay there until you’re selected.”
The program’s momentum is part of what Temple calls a shift toward long-term resiliency in Louisiana.
“We built the levees,” he said. “We built the pump stations. Now we’re focused on building resilient properties so insurers are willing to stay in coastal Louisiana – and so people can afford to live here.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on a state government program and the statements of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple regarding Louisiana’s efforts to bolster housing resilience against hurricanes. The tone is factual and explanatory, focusing on the details and benefits of the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program without promoting a particular political ideology. It refrains from partisan commentary or language that would suggest an ideological agenda, making it a straightforward report on policy initiatives and their practical impacts. This adherence to neutral, balanced reporting indicates a centrist stance without clear political bias.
Hurricane Katrina triggered New Orleans’ shift to an all-charter public school system, transforming a failing district into one with no failing schools and improved test scores and graduation rates. Today, 69 of 70 schools operate as independent charters under a district umbrella. Despite gains, challenges persist: declining enrollment, potential school closures, racial and economic disparities, and a reduced percentage of Black educators. Financial strains, including a $50 million deficit and competition from neighboring districts with higher teacher pay, threaten stability. Leaders emphasize the need to preserve cultural responsiveness and community ties while addressing funding, staffing, and equity issues in this ongoing education experiment.
Hurricane Katrina prompted the wholesale move of New Orleans’ public schools to an all-charter system, though seeds for the dramatic overhaul were sown at least two years before the 2005 catastrophe.
Before the storm, 60% of New Orleans schools earned a “F” grade on their state school performance scores. Today, there are no failing schools in the city. System and school leaders also point to improvements in standardized test results and graduation rates as validation for their autonomy from a traditional, centralized school district.
All but one of the 70 schools in New Orleans today are operated under charters independent of the local school board. They include 17 single-school charters and 28 organizations with multiple campuses. Though charter operators run their individual schools, there is still an umbrella New Orleans Public Schools district office and a school board that reviews charter applications and renewals.
As what’s been called the nation’s biggest experiment in public education prepares to enter its third decade, local school leaders are bracing for still more changes. For example, declining enrollment numbers, which is not unique to New Orleans, will likely lead to campus closures.
For many, it brings to mind the difficult post-Katrina decisions to shutter certain schools, mostly in neighborhoods where the population was slow to recover. Critics have said the charter movement exacerbated racial and economic gaps that existed before the storm, and new research lends credence to their claims. They fear the next round of school closures will be more of the same.
Another potential loss: more Black educators, who made up 71% of the system workforce in a city that was two-thirds Black before Katrina. Their numbers have rebounded to 52%, from a low of 42% since the storm, but gaps remain in the institutional culture. It’s that missing element that provided schools with strong neighborhood ties, even as they struggled with performance, said Adrinda Kelly, founder and leader of the advocacy group Black Education for New Orleans.
A graduate of McDonogh 35 High School, she’s among stakeholders who say the cultural factor is more difficult, and more important, to replace than buildings or employees.
“When we talk about trying to get closer to some of the things that we had going that were right pre-Katrina, we’re not just talking about Black bodies in front of Black children. That’s a part of it,” Kelly said. “What we’re talking about more is an ethos of education, where community and cultural responsiveness are sort of pillars of how we do education.”
How we got here
The Orleans Parish School Board served more than 65,000 students at 124 campuses for the school year that started weeks before Hurricane Katrina’s impact. At the time, a change in school governance was in its nascent stages.
Five campuses were already part of the Recovery School District, which the Louisiana Legislature had created two years earlier to take over schools that consistently failed state progress assessments.
Charter schools in New Orleans also predated Katrina, with two operating under the state school board, one under the local school board and more in the works.
Leslie Jacobs, then a member of the state Board of Secondary and Elementary Education, was the chief proponent of the Recovery School District. She had previously served on the Orleans Parish School Board, when system leaders were ensnared by corruption, crumbling infrastructure and declining performance.
“People had written off New Orleans public schools. No one believed New Orleans public schools could do anything,” Jacobs said Saturday at an Education Research Alliance of New Orleans symposium to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
After Katrina, the entire system was placed under the Recovery School District as officials tried to determine which locations should reopen. Nearly 50 schools were deemed significantly or completely destroyed, and it would be several months before displaced families could begin their return and recovery. Did schools need to wait on neighborhoods – or vice versa?
People escape flooding in the Lower 9th Ward and wait to be rescued from the rooftop of the Martin Luther King Jr. School and Library, one of the only two-story buildings in the area, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Aug. 30, 2005 in New Orleans. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The first schools to reopen welcomed students back in January 2006, and the system ended the year with an enrollment of 12,000. The count increased to roughly 25,000 for the 2006-07 school year, and total enrollment peaked above 51,000 in October 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a decline that’s stretched over the past four years. As of October 2024, there were 47,667 students enrolled in 70 schools.
The declining birth rate is one factor that’s produced falling enrollments nationally. Since the pandemic, more families have also opted for homeschooling and other nontraditional teaching options.
The drop is more pronounced in New Orleans’ high schools. As of February, nine of the city’s 23 stand-alone high schools (no K-8 grades) had student bodies below 500 last school year. By comparison, three high schools – Warren Easton, Edna Karr and Ben Franklin – had more than 1,000 students.
The Cowen Institute, created in 2007 to track educational changes after Hurricane Katrina, has followed the trend. In the 2025 edition of its report on “The State of Public Education in New Orleans,” it notes the amount of money the state provides per public school student has remained largely unchanged over the past 15 years.
State figures show the Minimum Foundation Program formula came to $3,855 per student for the 2010-11 school year. For 2024-25, the amount was $4,105 – a 3.3% increase that falls well short of the 2.65% average annual increase in inflation over the same period.
Each open seat in a New Orleans public school represents a loss of roughly $10,000, according to the Cowen Institute.
“The financial implications of already under-enrolled high schools experiencing additional enrollment declines in the future pose challenges for school leaders and the district, necessitating difficult decisions regarding resource allocation and potential school closures,” its report reads.
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Gaps persist
The state’s measuring stick for public school performance is the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, better known as the LEAP test, which is administered to all third- through 12th-grade students. Scores from fourth- and eight-graders are used to assess schoolwide performance.
Last year, 54% of New Orleans Public School fourth-graders and 65% of eighth-graders achieved Basic or Above on the English portion of the LEAP test, up from pre-Katrina rates 44% and 26%, respectively. Math scores were also higher, with 49% of fourth-graders and 42% of eighth-graders reaching Basic or Above in 2024, an increase from 41% and 30% in 2004, respectively.
However, long-term disparities in student performance based on race, household income and special education status persist. White and Asian scored far higher than Black, Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, special education and English language learner students. These disparities have increased over the past three years, according to the Cowen Institute’s analysis.
Tiffany Delcour, chief operating officer for New Schools for New Orleans, noted at last weekend’s symposium that lagging performance from English language learners is common throughout the state. The nonprofit she works for was created after Katrina to shepherd resources directed to improving public education in the city.
“As that is the [fastest] growing population we have in New Orleans – our multilanguage learners – we really have to figure out how to innovate for those students,” Delcour said.
The Cowen Institute also noted racially “stratified” student bodies at the eight New Orleans selective admissions public schools that require students to pass qualifying tests to enroll.
White students made up 42% of those accepted to these schools, although they make up just 10% of total enrollment systemwide. Black students, who accounted for 35% enrollment at selective schools, comprise 71% of the citywide student body.
Pros and cons of autonomy
Lake Forest Charter School is one of those selective admissions schools and was the first to open in New Orleans East after Hurricane Katrina. Mardele Early, its founding CEO, said she had started having conversations with parents about seeking a charter for her Montessori-curriculum elementary before the August 2005 hurricane.
“Our reason was we wanted to have more of an autonomy to build – and continue to build – what we knew would be a great school for students,” Early said. “We wanted to have more faith in the selection of our materials and how we were going to spend our funding.”
Students attend dance class at the Encore Academy charter school on May 13, 2015, in New Orleans. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
With school closures and consolidation on the near horizon, New Orleans school leaders have started to explore whether their autonomy is an expense they can continue to afford.
Each individual charter operation requires a transportation contract for school buses, a food service program for student meals and a health care provider for its employees – all expenses a central office covers in a traditional school district. Charter holders with multiple campuses enjoy some economies of scale, but single-school operators have to shoulder the cost on their own.
For some schools, though, these spending decisions are about more than just keeping their books balanced.
Kate Mehock, founder and CEO of Crescent City School, said at Saturday’s symposium that she chose to stop contracting with a transportation provider and took its bus service in-house last year. Her charter operation includes five schools and an alternative education program. When her independent school board asked whether its transportation team was having an impact, she said she began tracking attendance and four that tardiness rates fell by half.
“What does that mean? It means kids aren’t late to first period. It means they eat breakfast,” Mehock said. “They come to school, they’re ready to go, right? So a small thing like that really matters.”
Future funding fears
Although New Orleans’ charter schools are independently run, the local tax revenue that supports them comes through the Orleans Parish School Board. An ongoing dispute between the board and Mayor LaToya Cantrell involves tens of millions of dollars in school tax revenue the city has retained. The mayor insists those proceeds are meant to cover the city’s cost for collecting school taxes.
The school board has sued the Cantrell administration, and a judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday that suspends the city’s tax collection fee.
The money in question would help the school system overcome a $50 million deficit from last year that was the result of an error in tax revenue projections. The mistake led to the quick exit of Superintendent Avis Williams and forced the school board to dip into its savings to cover part of the shortfall.
These financial difficulties make it difficult to attract and retain teachers, current Superintendent Fateama Fulmore said. A 2023 study from The New Teacher Project found that 25% of New Orleans teachers left their jobs in each of the previous three years, with the pandemic forcing many to exit the field entirely.
There’s also the competition factor.
New Orleans school leaders watched nervously last December as Jefferson Parish voters were asked to increase their property taxes to support teacher pay raises. The proposition failed by a margin of 319 votes.
The average annual compensation for a certified teacher in New Orleans is just under $44,000, according to multiple third-party online salary databases. An official figure is difficult to obtain, given the number and independent nature of charter operations, but anecdotal evidence places New Orleans teacher pay behind salaries in Jefferson.
Had the property tax been approved, each Jefferson Parish teacher would have seen their annual salary increased $8,300, dramatically increasing the district’s edge over New Orleans.
As the years have passed since Hurricane Katrina, the appeal of working in an experimental school system has lost its luster for some educators, especially as neighboring systems have increased teacher pay. Fulmore said compensation, declining enrollment and underfunding are the three main obstacles the New Orleans school faces in the near term.
“I don’t believe these are insurmountable challenges we’re facing, but there are Heculean efforts that we’re going to have to make to overcome them,” the superintendent said.
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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This content presents a generally balanced view of the New Orleans public school system’s transformation post-Hurricane Katrina, highlighting both successes and ongoing challenges. It acknowledges improvements in school performance and autonomy through charter schools, while also addressing criticisms related to racial and economic disparities, teacher retention, and funding issues. The focus on social equity, community impact, and systemic challenges aligns with a center-left perspective that supports reform and accountability in public education, while advocating for attention to racial and economic justice concerns.
