School Board deadlocked on solar farm funding agreement
Reported byAmerican Press
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The Calcasieu Parish School Board split evenly, 7-7, on a motion to move ahead with a funding agreement involving Persimmon Gulch Solar, LLC, the company behind a planned solar farm in Moss Bluff. The vote took place Tuesday night, and one board member was absent. The article does not say what the board will do next.
According to Superintendent Jason VanMetre, the agreement called for an initial donation of $150,000 per year, provided the project is approved and starts operating. He said the contract states the amount would rise 30 percent every 10 years once the project is energized. The money would go to four schools in DeQuincy and four in the Moss Bluff area. VanMetre also said the district changed the company's original draft to add language stating the donation would not lower the company's future taxes, though that did not persuade members already opposed.
Board vice president Tony O'Banion argued that signing would not amount to endorsing the project and would bind any future buyer of it to keep paying. Board member Patrick Pichon said declining would mean turning down free money. Board members Glenda Gay and Billy Breaux objected to tying the donation to a contract, and Breaux questioned the company's motives.
Why it matters
The disagreement centers on whether a recurring donation tied to a contract is worth accepting for eight schools. It shows how boards weigh possible long-term revenue against concerns about obligations and a developer's motives.
- Board vote
- Property taxes
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- What questions should a school board ask before signing a contract linked to a donation from a company with a pending local project?
- How should a district weigh guaranteed long-term funding for specific schools against concerns about the donor's motives?
- How might money directed to eight schools be handled fairly across a district with many other campuses?
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