BACK TO SCHOOL
While Bus Drivers Strike, Baton Rouge Schools Leave Money On the Table
Pencils were sharpened, textbooks were covered, lunches were packed… but Schools weren’t open for East Baton Rouge students.
Back to school has taken on a new meaning this year when the East Baton Rouge Parish School System canceled classes and changed schedules because of bus driver protests over low wages.
While everyone can agree that teachers and school staff deserve fair pay, finding the money is an entirely different matter. But, what if the money was hiding in plain sight?
East Baton Rouge schools have lost $120 million dollars over the last six years to ITEP – the country's most generous corporate tax giveaway program.
This shadowy form of corporate welfare gives big companies a free pass not to pay property taxes — the same property taxes everyday people in Baton Rouge must pay to fund our police, infrastructure, and… you guessed it… schools. Worse yet, these special tax breaks have not created the jobs or economic impact promised.
If our school system had collected its full share of taxes, it would have had an extra $1.8 million just for bus driver pay, which comes to an extra $5k per driver.
This is just one example of how ITEP is robbing everyday people in our parish. If you’d like to see how much we’re losing for police, fire, streets, disaster recovery, and more, sign up below.
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