By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Lincoln parish voters rejected a proposal Saturday that would have consolidated the school board’s five existing parishwide sales taxes into a single 2.5% sales and use tax, leaving the district’s current tax structure unchanged.
The final vote tally was 3,188 “no” votes to 1,988 “yes” votes.
The proposition would have replaced the school system’s five separate half-cent sales taxes with one 2.5% tax beginning Oct. 1, 2026. While the overall tax rate would not have increased, the measure would have combined the existing levies into a single tax estimated to generate approximately $31.7 million annually for school operations, salaries, facilities, security and other lawful school board purposes.
School officials had said the proposal was intended to simplify the district’s financial structure by replacing five separate tax accounts with one consolidated fund. Opponents raised concerns over the broader spending language contained in the proposition.
Superintendent-elect John Young said he was disappointed by the outcome but emphasized that the district’s priorities will remain unchanged.
“Obviously not the results that we were looking for,” Young said. “But I will say that our mission is still the same.”
Young said the school system will continue focusing on maintaining its financial stability despite the failed measure.
“We have a AA-minus bond rating right now, which is extremely favorable in terms of how we’ve handled our finances across the years,” Young said. “All the things that we look to do in the future in terms of prioritizing employee salaries and retaining and recruiting the best teachers – those are still the same goals that we have. While this passing may have made that a little bit easier for us, that is still a goal.”
Young said the election results will not alter the district’s day-to-day operations.
“Nothing changes for us day to day in terms of operations and providing our students the best possible education and our employees the best possible benefits and salaries that we can give,” he said.
Because the proposition failed, the Lincoln Parish School Board will continue operating under its existing five separate parishwide sales taxes rather than replacing them with a single consolidated levy.
